Second Chances
by Anonymous Lazy Cat
Summary: Instead of escaping after what happened in Harlem, Bruce was captured by SHIELD to be used as a test subject. After a while, he has given up hope of ever escaping. But then he meets Tony Stark, who just might be able to help turn things around.
1. Chapter 1

A fill for a prompt over at the avengerkink livejournal. If someone could please tell me how to add a link without it getting screwed up then I will link to it.

I'm not sure if this fill is quite what they wanted, but I tried.

one other thing- the first chapter-and-a-half of this thing takes place during the events of the Avengers movie, so some of the scenes will be very familiar. I tried to keep it as un-boring as possible, but there was only so much I could do. The story will get more interesting as it goes on. Hopefully.

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Today was shaping up to be one of the stranger days in Bruce Banner's life. Not _the _strangest- no, not even close- but it definitely made the list. Earlier that day,a strange woman who called herself Agent Romanov had come down to his cell in the SHIELD Bioweapon Research Facility. She said that Nick Fury had sent her to bring Bruce in on a mission. Apparently SHIELD needed him to track down the Tesseract, a small blue box that emitted a faint gamma signature. At that point, he was already suspicious. Surely there was someone else that could help on this mission. They wouldn't even have to look far- many of the scientists at the research facility were experts in gamma radiation. Given the choice, why would SHIELD choose a monster over a man unless they had some hidden motive?

He hadn't said any of this, of course. There was no point. During the past year and a half SHIELD had made it abundantly clear that Bruce was going to do whatever they wanted him to do, and that trying to fight only made things worse. So he didn't fight. He had let the guards cuff his wrists and ankles, let them lead him up from the underground bunker first into the too-bright sunlight and then into the cool darkness of a small jet. He had listened silently as Agent Romanov gave a more detailed explanation of what had happened, where they were going, and who was going to be there. It actually raised more questions than it had answered but, once again, he didn't say anything. Stay quiet, stay cooperative, and he would stay (relatively) safe. That was what worked before, and that was what he did on the flight.

It wasn't long before they landed. Romanov left right away, heading towards another jet that had just landed. Bruce stayed near the jet that they had flown there in, unsure of where he was supposed to be going. Briefly he thought about asking one of the guards, but decided against it. They had landed on some sort of large boat, and the sea breeze felt good on his face. Even the bright sun was nice, once his eyes adjusted. Bruce hadn't realized just how much he missed being outside until now.

"Doctor Banner."

Bruce looked up and turned towards the voice. A neatly-dressed blond man (presumably Steve Rogers, Romanov had mentioned that he was coming) was standing there. He offered his hand for a handshake, but withdrew it when he noticed that Bruce's hands were chained tightly together.

"Word is you can find the cube." he said.

Bruce wondered if this was the _only _word on him. Probably not. He stared at the ground.

There was an awkward pause as both men wondered if they should try and start a conversation, in the interest of being polite. Thankfully Natasha walked over and did it for them.

"Gentlemen, you may want to step inside. It's going to get a little hard to breathe."

The two of them looked around in confusion as loud clanging noises began coming from below.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve wondered aloud.

As it turned out, it wasn't. They were standing on the deck of some kind of giant aircraft, which to Bruce seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. A submarine would have been bad enough, but this? Oh, no, this was much worse.

One of the guards soon showed Bruce to the laboratory where he would be working. She removed his handcuffs, which was to be expected- he couldn't look for the Tesseract if he could hardly move his hands. What surprised him was when she took off the cuffs on his ankles as well. A fleeting thought crossed his mind- _I could run now, run and never come back. _This thought was soon crushed by the reality that, on an aircraft, there was nowhere to run to. Besides, the thought of actually _working_ again was starting to appeal to him. Bruce had spent a lot of time in labs over the past year and a half, but always as a test subject, an experiment. This would be a very welcome change of pace.

Bruce got so caught up in what he was doing that he hardly noticed the time go by. After what seemed like just a short while (but was actually hours), he looked up and saw that the guard had stepped just outside the door. She was talking to a SHIELD agent. In a few moments, she came back in.

"They need you on the bridge." was all she said before grabbing Bruce's arm and leading him away.

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Tony Stark sauntered onto the bridge of the Helicarrier, catching what seemed to be part of a discussion.

"I...I think it's about the mechanics. What do they need the iridium for?"

Naturally, Tony had an answer. "It's a stabilizing agent." he said, before turning and finishing his conversation with Agent Coulson. When that was done, he addressed the rest of the room once more.

"Means, the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD."

He continued walking around and talking, simultaneously getting a feel for the place and detailing some of the finer points of Loki's scheme. It was quite an impressive display of multitasking, if he did say so himself.

"Does Loki need any particular _kind _of power source?" asked Steve during a break in Tony's explanation.

Just as Tony was about to answer, another voice spoke up- the same quiet, expressionless voice that had been speaking when Tony entered the bridge.

"He'd have to heat the cube to 120 million Kelvin just to break through the cooling barrier." said the man.

_Ah, that must be Doctor Banner. _Tony had really been looking forward to meeting him. It wasn't every day that he got to work with someone whose intellect _almost_ matched his own.

"Unless," Tony added. "Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunnel effect."

"If he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet." answered Bruce.

Tony went back over towards the meeting table. "Finally, someone who speaks English."

"Is that what just happened?" asked Steve quietly. Tony ignored him in favor of shaking Bruce's hand.

"It's good to meet you, Doctor Banner." he said. "Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalled, and I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

Okay, that was sort of a stupid way to greet someone. But it really summed it all up, didn't it?

"...Thanks." said Bruce, sounding considerably less enthusiastic about meeting Tony than Tony was about meeting him. Still, at least he didn't seem offended. Non-offended was pretty good, as far as Tony was concerned. And surprisingly rare.

… Okay, maybe _not _so surprisingly. He tended to have that effect on people.

"Doctor Banner is only here to track the cube." Fury butted in. "I was hoping you might join him."

"Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon." added Steve.

"I don't know about that." said Fury. "But it is powered by the cube. And, I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

Thor frowned. "...Monkeys? I do not understand."

"I do!" interjected Steve, obviously quite proud of himself. "I understood that reference."

Tony rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. Enough was enough. Time to get out of here.

"Shall we play, Doctor?" he asked Bruce.

Before he could answer, the grim-looking guard standing next to him spoke up instead.

"The lab is just this way, sir. I'll be escorting you." she said to Tony. She shifted her gun to one hand and took a hold of Bruce's arm with the other. He flinched slightly.

"Hey, hold on." Asked Tony "Who said anything about an escort?"

Fury spoke up. "It was decided that, for security reasons, Doctor Banner would be followed by an armed guard at all times."

Tony wanted to argue, but the ticked-off look on Fury's face told him just how pointless that would be. Besides, he really wanted to get started on studying Loki's spear. So, he decided to let this one go- just once.

When they got to the door of the lab, however, Tony decided that the guard had to leave.

"Okay, Agent...uh..." Crap, no nametags. "Agent Guardface. You stay outside."

Guardface scowled. "I have my orders."

"And you won't be breaking them. Just stay outside the door. That's close enough, isn't it?"

Guardface kept scowling. Tony kept talking.

"It's nothing personal. I just don't want you around when I'm working. It's distracting. Decreases productivity. And besides," He gestured at Bruce. "I bet that big-ass gun really puts him on edge. Not the sort of guy you want to put on edge, is he?"

There was a long pause. Tony hoped this would work. He tried to put on his best you-don't-want-to-argue-with-me-because-I-will-not-shut-up face. It was a complicated message to send via only facial expressions, but he thought he did pretty well.

Finally, Guardface nodded. "I'll be just outside the door. Don't try anything." she aimed this last part at Bruce.

"Good." said Tony, heading into the lab. "Let's get started."

He went over towards the computer stations. First step was to find out just how the spear and the Tesseract were related. To do that, he'd have to start by...

"Mr. Stark?" Bruce said, interrupting Tony's thoughts. He was standing just inside the door, looking down at his shoes.

"Please, call me Tony." Tony said. "And what are you still doing over there? I thought you were going to help me out."

"Right." Bruce said, but he still didn't move. "Listen, about what you said to the guard...I just wanted you to know I'm not _that _volatile. Just being around guns won't...set me off. I'm used to it. So, you don't have to worry. Really."

Tony frowned. 'What? Oh, that. I was just trying to get her to leave, and figured some scare tactics might work. Can't have a SHIELD goon poking around while I hack into their files."

Bruce paused. "You're hacking SHIELD? What if they find out?"

Tony shrugged. "So what? There's not much they can do about it."

Bruce raised his head slightly to look Tony in the eye.

"I wouldn't underestimate them if I were you."

And that was that. Tony tried to pry a better explanation of Bruce's warning from him, but with no luck. Bruce was willing to discuss the work they were doing, but trying to get him to say anything else was like talking to a brick wall. So after a while, Tony gave up and left him alone.

But when his program had finished hacking SHIELD's database, he quietly downloaded all the files related to their bioweaponry research project. There was something strange going on, and he wanted to know about it.

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Bruce had, at first, been cautious about meeting Tony. It was understandable- the last time he had seen the name "Stark" it was printed in bold letters on some very formidable weaponry. Weaponry that had been aimed directly at _him_. Bruce knew that Stark Industries no longer made weapons. It still made him wary. Fortunately his fears were unfounded. Sure, Tony was brash, arrogant, and even rude at times. But besides that, he seemed nice enough. Friendly, too. It could be a bit uncomfortable sometimes as Tony tried to start conversations on topics that Bruce didn't even want to think about, much less discuss. And being around someone who, for some reason, seemed to like and trust him would only make it harder when he had to go back to the facility.

Bruce decided that it would probably be best if he tried to clear his mind and only focus on the job he was sent there to do. That worked at first. But once they had set up a way of tracking the cube, they began to comb through SHIELD's newly-hacked-into files. A good portion of what they did seemed to be either illegal or unethical, if not both. It wasn't really surprising- not to him, at least- but that didn't make it any better.

The two of them had just uncovered something particularly interesting (and disturbing) when Fury stormed in.

"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?"

"Kinda been wondering the same thing about you." answered Tony, with the same confidence he had shown all day.

Fury ignored him. "You're supposed to be looking for the Tesseract."

"We are. The model is locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. Soon we should have the location within half a mile." Bruce said.

"Yeah, then you'll get your cube back. No muss, no fuss." Tony looked back over at the computer screen. "What _is _Phase Two?" he asked.

There was a sudden crash, and everyone looked up in surprise. Steve was standing there, with a grim expression and a large gun. It was quite the dramatic entrance, and with impeccable timing too. How had he managed to do that?

"'Phase Two' is 'SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons'" Steve said. "Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow for me." He addressed this second part at Tony, not sounding sorry at all.

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean..." Fury began to explain.

"I'm sorry, Nick..." Tony interrupted, not sounding the least bit sorry either. "What were you lying?" He swiveled around one of the screens, showing the whole room the schematics for a weapon that had been found in SHIELD's database.

"I was wrong, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit." said Steve, glaring at Fury.

Just then, the door to the lab opened. Thor and Natasha walked in, making a significantly less dramatic entrance than Steve had just a moment ago.

"You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" she asked Bruce, without bothering to explain why she and Thor had showed up. She didn't even ask what Fury and Steve were doing there.

"You brought me here, now you want me to leave?" The irritation that Bruce had felt earlier was starting to grow. He tried to shut it down. It didn't work.

"Loki's manipulating you." Natasha warned.

Oh, so now they suddenly cared about his well-being? Unlikely. Bruce had been manipulated all along, no one had cared then. All that had mattered was protecting their own interests- something which now required calming Bruce down so that the "other guy" didn't go on a rampage. It was a reasonable goal, and one that he would have normally helped along with any way he could. Right now, he had other things on his mind.

"I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction." he demanded, pointing at the screen where the weapon schematics were still displayed.

There was a pause. Then Fury pointed at Thor. "Because of him."

"Me?"

"Last year Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that levelled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but that we are hopelessly..._hilariously _outgunned."

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet."

"But you're not the only people out there, are you?"

From then on, everything went downhill. Arguments sprang up between everyone. The tension in the room was so thick that it was almost palpable. Bruce could feel his heart rate climbing dangerously, but was powerless to do anything about it. It was beginning to seem more and more likely that Natasha had been being honest earlier when she said that Loki was manipulating him. He didn't exactly know why or how it was being done, but something was obviously wrong. In a normal situation he could have closed himself off from his anger in a matter of seconds, letting the tension in the room wash around him like rapids around a rock. But now he was joining in the arguments with the rest of them. Fury noticed and tried to make him leave, but Bruce ignored him.

So Fury tried a more direct tactic. "Agent Romanov, would you escort Dr. Banner back to his..."

"Where? You rented my room." Bruce snapped, interrupting him. Not that it was much of a room. It was just a fragile glass shell without a chance of working. SHIELD had to know that, didn't they? After all the tests and experiments, after all they had done to him, couldn't they figure out a simple thing like that?

Apparently not. "The cell was just a precaution." Fury began. "Just in case..."

Bruce interrupted him again. "In case you needed to kill me. But you _can't. _I _know. _I _tried._"

The room fell silent. He hadn't meant to say that, hadn't even wanted to say that. Yes, he was thinking it, but hearing it aloud felt wrong somehow. Still, judging by the looks on everyone's faces, he probably owed them an explanation.

"Four years ago." He started, trying to avoid looking anyone in the eye. "I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the 'other guy' spit it out. So I tried to move on. I tried to be good. But then SHIELD came along and caged me up, using me as their own personal guinea pig. Now they decide it's a good idea to let me out, to put everyone here at risk? It's not." He took a threatening step forward. "It's not." He repeated.

"Doctor Banner." Steve said gently but firmly. "Put down the scepter."

Bruce looked down at his hand in confusion. Steve was right- Loki's spear was gripped tight in his hand. How long had that been there? He didn't remember picking it up. It was unsettling, realizing that you had done something without even knowing it.

A beeping sounded from across the room, breaking him out of the daze he had been in. The Tesseract had been located. He set the scepter back down on the table and went over to the computer station. More arguments had begun to break out, but he was too surprised by what the screen said to notice.

"Oh my god." he muttered softly.

Moments later, the whole lab was wracked by a powerful explosion.


	2. Chapter 2

Bruce fell through the floor, landing hard on his front. What had just happened? They had located the Tesseract, and explosion had gone off, and...and...

It was hard to focus. His heart was pounding wildly out of control. He could hear roaring, not coming from any outside source but coming from inside his own head. This was bad. Very bad. He had broken free from Loki's control just to have another monster take over.

A painful spasm coursed through him, bones and muscles shifting beneath his skin. There was someone talking nearby. It was a woman's voice- Romanov. He couldn't quite make out what she was saying, though. The voice from inside his head was quickly becoming overpowering.

**SMASH**

_No, no, no. _Bruce thought frantically, trying to hold the voice down. This couldn't happen now, not here, with someone else so nearby.

**HULK SMASH**

_Oh god please no_

**HURT**

_...please...don't..._

**KILL**

And with that, Bruce was gone. The Hulk had taken his place.

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It was quiet. The smell of dust and dirt filled the air. An unfamiliar voice spoke.

"You fell out of the sky."

Bruce opened his eyes and sat up. He was groggy, naked, surrounded by rubble, and had an old man staring at him. Not exactly the best way to wake up. At least his mind was his own again. Loki's influence was completely gone, and the "other guy" was subdued- at least for the moment.

He looked up at the strange man. "Did I hurt anyone?"

"There's nobody around to get hurt." He sounded surprisingly nonchalant, considering what he had probably just seen. "You did scare the hell out of some pigeons, though."

At least things hadn't gone too badly here. Bruce doubted the same could be said of the Helicarrier.

"Might've just been good aim." the old man continued. "You were awake when you fell."

"You saw?"

"Whole thing. Right through the ceiling, big and green and buck-ass nude. Here." He tossed some clothes towards Bruce, who began to put them on. 'Didn't think those'd fit you until you shrunk down to a regular-sized feller."

"...thank you."

"You an alien?" the man asked.

Bruce frowned in confusion.

"From outer space, an alien." the man tried to clarify. Bruce shook his head.

"Well then, son, you've got a condition."

That was certainly one way of putting it. Not one that Bruce had heard before. It was better than some other things he had been called.

_(Monster/freak/not human)_

Bruce finished getting dressed, not quite sure of where he should go next. He knew that Loki would probably attack at Stark Tower, but knowing that didn't help much. There was no way of getting there, with no method of transportation and no idea of where he was right now. But even if he did, what then? Was it really the right thing to do, trying to help take down Loki? In the past the "other guy" had always done more harm than good. The one possible exception was at Harlem, and even that was questionable. The damage to the city had been pretty bad, from what he had managed to see before he had been drugged and taken away. The damage to the city might have been even worse if the Hulk hadn't been there, but there was no way of knowing.

He chose to go anyways, despite the risk. He had to at least _try _and help. The old man was kind enough to lend Bruce a motorbike, give him directions, and wave him off with a friendly look. Bruce wished that he could have thanked the man properly, but right now he was pressed for time and chances were good that they would never see each other again.

Bruce spent the ride to Stark Tower planning what he would do once he got there. At least this time, finding a way to let out the Hulk wouldn't be a problem. He had learned how to consciously trigger a transformation a while ago. It had been a matter of necessity- the scientists at the facility often needed to induce an "incident" for research purposes, and their preferred method of doing so was to repeatedly jab Bruce with a powerful electric prod. It was extremely painful, and so Bruce had taught himself to purposely transform just so he didn't have to endure it for as long. The scientists still didn't know- Bruce always waited for them to zap him a few times, just to maintain the illusion. Sitting through the pain was worth it if it meant that he could have just one secret, just one thing he had a measure of control over.

Problem was, that control ended the instant that the "other guy" took over. And that was what worried him most right now. As he made his way to Manhattan, Bruce tried to communicate with the Hulk in whatever limited way he could. _Don't hurt civilians. Don't hurt Tony, or Steve, or any of the others. Listen to what they tell you. Please don't make things worse than how they started. _

He doubted that the "other guy" fully understood the message, but it was the best he could do.

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When Bruce reached his destination the battle seemed to already be well underway. The ground was covered in rubble and fires had broken out. Standing amidst the chaos were Steve, Natasha (he was particularly glad to see her, to know that he hadn't killed her by accident) , Thor, and someone who he didn't quite recognize.

Steve was the first to speak up. "Stark, we got him."

Tony's voice spoke up, though the man himself was still unseen. "Banner?" he asked.

"Just like you said." answered Steve.

"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you"

Tony, fully outfitted in his Iron Man gear, came soaring into view. Behind him came...something. Bruce wasn't quite sure what it was, but he did know that it was large, dangerous-looking, and needed to be stopped before it reached them.

"I don't see how that's a party." said Natasha, shaking her head slightly.

Well, now was the time. Bruce began walking towards the creature.

"Doctor Banner." Steve spoke up. "Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

Bruce just kept walking. He was always angry.

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It was quiet. The smell of dust and dirt filled the air. But this time, the voice that greeted him was familiar.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. It's over. We won."

Bruce looked up. Tony was kneeling next to him. He had taken off the suit and was now dressed in his jeans and shirt from earlier. Bruce pulled himself into a sitting position, joints creaking in protest as he did so.

"You hungry?" Tony asked. Then, before Bruce had a chance to answer, he kept talking. "I convinced that we should all go out for shwarma. Sort of a 'congratulations-to-us-for-saving-the-world' thing. You'll have to put on some different clothes first, though. No shoes, no shirt, no service."

Bruce gave a small nod and stood up carefully, making sure that the remnants of his pants didn't fall down. Tony had already gotten up and was now walking away. Bruce followed.

"Where are we?" he asked, once he had caught up.

"Stark Tower. Pretty nice, isn't it? The big guy followed me up when I went to take off the suit. I think he was trying to make sure I didn't get myself into trouble."

Tony led Bruce into a bedroom. "You'll have to wear some of my clothes." Tony said, rummaging around in a closet. He tossed a shirt, pants, and shoes towards Bruce. "There. Those should fit. Figure it's the least I can do after you, y'know, saved my life."

"I...what?"

"Well, the Hulk did. It's sort of a long story, don't have time for it right now." he said this hurriedly, as if he didn't really want to talk about it. Bruce wondered why, but figured it best not to ask. He couldn't have asked even of he wanted to- Tony had already left the room, presumably to give Bruce some privacy.

When Bruce was done getting dressed, he and Tony took the elevator downstairs. It was odd that the elevator was still working when so much damage had been done to the building, but Bruce wasn't about to complain. The rest of their group was waiting outside, and the six of them slowly made their way to the restaurant. Everyone (except maybe Thor) looked exhausted and like they probably would have preferred to drive rather than walk, but that was impossible. The roads were littered with debris, overturned cars, and the bodies of Chitauri soldiers. Some SHIELD agents were there as well, keeping civillians away and confiscating the alien technology so no one else could get their hands on it. Occasionally one of them would look over at the superheroes walking through the ruined streets before returning to their work. Bruce did his best to ignore the agents, but he could still feel his chest tighten at the sight of their uniforms. Being here reminded him a little too much of the last wrecked city he had been in , and of what had happened to him afterwards.

As was to be expected, the restaurant was in pretty bad shape. Still, the owners were more than happy to serve "the heroes who saved New York", as they put it. Tony promised them a large tip anyways.

They ate in silence. Soon after everyone finished, however, Steve spoke up.

"We should probably all be getting home." he said, although he obviously meant "I'm tired and want to go home and sleep."

Thor nodded and stood up. "I shall keep watch over Loki tonight. He has been weakened, but should not be left alone for long."

"Good idea." Clint said grimly. "Don't want that bastard getting out." He stood up as well, and then turned towards Natasha. "You coming?"

She shook her head. "Not right away. I'm supposed to take Banner back to SHIELD. They've got a containment cell waiting for him." She cast a quick glance in Bruce's direction. Maybe it was just his imagination, but she looked...apologetic.

"So that's it?" Tony said. "He helps you out and you lock him back up?"

"SHIELD's already made a decision. It's not up to me, or you, or any of us."

"It should be up to _him_." Tony looked over at Bruce. "And since I doubt that you _want _to be put in a cage..."

"It's fine. I'll go." Bruce said, getting up. It was nice of Tony to try and argue on Bruce's behalf, but dragging this out wouldn't fix anything.

Tony tried to protest, but Natasha ignored him. Instead, she left the restaurant and led Bruce down the street a little ways to where a black car was waiting. The agents they had passed by earlier had cleaned up the streets, so it was now safe to drive. This time there were no handcuffs, no armed guards, just the two of them driving along in silence. It felt so...normal. But then they reached the SHIELD building, and Bruce was taken to a containment cell. This was "normal" now, he reminded himself. No use in wishing otherwise.

"You'll stay in here just for tonight." said Natasha before she left. "You're needed again tomorrow morning to help with transporting the cube. After that, you'll be flown back to the research facility."

Once again, she gave Bruce an apologetic look. Then she was gone. There was a series of clicks and whirs as the door locks activated, and soon Bruce was left alone in the quiet, dim cell. It was even smaller than his room at the facility, and it was bare except for a cot in the corner. The bed was hard and there was no blanket, but he didn't really care. He had slept in worse places when he was on the run. He curled up on the bed, with one arm under his head to serve as a pillow, and fell asleep within minutes.

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Just as Natasha had said, the next day Bruce was taken to help Selvig with containing the cube for transport. The other Avengers were there as well- Thor was there to take Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard, and the others were there mostly to observe. After it was over and the two demigods had returned to their realm, everyone else went their own separate ways. Natasha and Clint went back to SHIELD to complete some paperwork. Tony and Steve each headed off to their respective homes. And Bruce was handcuffed and led away by two armed agents.

Tony watched as Bruce left, growing more and more pissed off. What had happened to Bruce just wasn't fair. And yes, Tony knew that life wasn't fair. He had learned _that _particular lesson many times. But just because life _wasn't _fair didn't mean that it _shouldn't _be. Plus, Tony was a superhero now. Wasn't "stopping injustice" sort of in the job description? So, as he drove away, he resolved to come up with a plan to get Bruce away from SHIELD.

Of course, he couldn't start on it right away. He had to make plans to get Stark Tower fixed up, talk to Rhodey and Happy so they knew everything was okay, and then try his best to fend off the throngs of reporters who all wanted to hear about the battle in New York. After a few days of that, he and Pepper flew back to Malibu where they fended off more reporters and Tony got started on repairing the damage to his suits (as well as making a few improvements). Then Natasha called to tell him that a funeral for Agent Coulson was going to be held soon, and that Tony didn't _have _to attend but he could if he wanted to. Tony and Pepper both decided to go and pay their respects, so there was that emotionally-draining shitstorm to contend with. And all of this was done while trying to deal with the nightmares that kept showing up more and more frequently. So, in the end, it was over two weeks before Tony finally took a look at the files he had downloaded from SHIELD.

It was late. Pepper had already gone to sleep hours ago, but after tossing and turning for a while Tony decided that sleep was not going to happen for him tonight. Instead, he went to his workshop. At first he was going to work on his suits, but then he decided that he had put off the get-Bruce-out-of-SHIELD issue for long enough already.

Tony pulled up the files that he had downloaded from SHIELD. The first thing to do was to find out where the facility was. Then he would figure out what kind of security it had. After that, he could come up with a plan.

Finding the information he wanted was trickier than he would have thought. SHIELD's organization system was even worse than their anti-hacking measures. But as Tony was digging through the byzantine mess of information, he came across something interesting. Test reports. Hundreds of them, labeled by subject name and date of experiment. He opened up the ones labeled "BANNER" and began to read. And what he saw was almost enough to make him sick. Sure, some of the stuff was innocuous enough- the sort of tests that might get done at an ordinary doctor's office or hospital. The only unusual part about _those _tests was how often they were performed- especially the blood tests. The rest of the experiments, however, were far from harmless. After a while, Tony quit reading out of a combination of anger and disgust. He continued combing through SHIELD's files, filled with renewed determination.

Three hours, two cups of coffee, and one sunrise later, he had a plan. Mostly. Really, it was more a vague outline. It was all he needed- the facility was built to keep people in, not to keep people out. There were still about a hundred things that could go wrong, but he'd deal with those when and if they happened.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony left the next night, timing it so that he'd reach the facility shortly after midnight. That way, most of the people working there would be gone. Hopefully, he'd only have a handful of guards to get in his way. Finding the facility proved easy- it was hard to miss a large high-security building in an otherwise remote and empty area. When he got there, he flew right up to the front door. There was nobody standing watch, and according to the files there were no security systems set up to detect intruders outside of the building. SHIELD seemed to think that all that was necessary to keep people out was a fancy lock that was supposed to only open if you had the right keycard. All the real security was inside.

At least, that's what the files _said. _But the instant Tony landed on the ground outside the facility, a loud alarm sounded. Heavily-armed guards in army uniforms leapt from unseen places and surrounded him. Damn. Either the files had been wrong, or- and this was more likely- SHIELD had improved their security recently. They probably suspected that Tony had downloaded the files, and that he would try and do just what he was doing right now.

Fortunately, this didn't change much of Tony's plan. He'd just have to kick their asses outside rather than inside. And have more than a "handful of guards" to deal with. It was still easy.

He began firing on the guards, and they fired back. As they did so, Tony noticed something that took him completely by surprise. All the guard's weapons- every one of them- bore the distinctive "Stark Industries" logo. What the hell? No one was supposed to still have those. Not the military and _certainly _not a shady underground government agency like SHIELD. Where did they get them?

That was a question he'd have to find an answer to later. For the time being, Tony took great pleasure in shooting the stolen guns right out of the guard's hands. Served them right, for taking his stuff. He fought through the guards until he reached the door.

"JARVIS!" He said. "Now's the time. Do your thing."

"_Certainly, sir."_

With JARVIS working on hacking the locks, Tony turned his full attention back to the fight. The thought occurred to him that the military really shouldn't be here at all. Wasn't this a SHIELD operation? The place was called the "SHIELD Bioweapon Research Facility", after all. Not the "SHIELD and Military Bioweapon Research Facility.

It was yet another unanswered question that he didn't have time for right now. JARVIS had just finished hacking the lock on the front door. Tony shoved aside one of the guards, then flew through the door.

"JARVIS, you got that layout for me?"

A layout of the facility popped up in Tony's field of vision, showing him the route he needed to take to get to where Bruce was being held. This part of the plan, at least, stayed the same. Only one part of the facility was built specially to contain the Hulk, so it was unlikely that they could have moved Bruce elsewhere.

The building's security force was quickly left behind as Tony sped down a series of hallways. There was no way that people on foot could match the speed of the suit. After a bit, he couldn't even hear the stomping of their boots anymore. This either meant that they had simply gotten too far behind to be heard, or that they had stopped chasing him and were implementing a new plan. Tony hoped for the first option, but he suspected that the second was what had actually happened.

After some twists and turns, Tony reached a door. Not just any door- an important door. Beyond this door was a stairwell, which led to another important door, which led to an underground bunker where Bruce was.

"Get this one too, won't you JARVIS?"

It would have been much easier to open all the locks in the place at once, by completely shutting down the systems keeping them operational. The problem with that plan was, Tony didn't _want _all the locks to be opened. There were some very nasty things being kept in this place. Things that he most definitely did not want getting out. A prime example was something- or rather, some_one_- known only as the Abomination. He was stronger than the Hulk, a lot meaner than the Hulk, and stayed that way permanently rather than turning back into a mild-mannered scientist at the end of the day. As an added bonus, he was responsible for an attack on Harlem. So, while Tony doubted that this "Abomination" deserved whatever treatment he was getting here at the facility, he most definitely didn't deserve to be let loose.

All this meant that he was stuck getting the locks open the slower way. JARVIS worked his mechanical magic first on the lock at the top of the stairs, then the one at the bottom. Tony flew through the second door. Inside was another corridor, lined with more heavily armored doors. He was struck by how different it was down here compared to the rest of the facility. Above ground everything was brightly lit and painted white, like a hospital. Down here everything was dim, grey, and downright depressing. Another difference was the sound- or rather, lack thereof. The alarm that had been going off since Tony landed was almost completely muffled.

Tony headed for the second door on the left- the one to Bruce's cell. Jeez, why did there have to be so many doors in this place? It made breaking in a right pain. Just like with the last three, JARVIS made short work of the locks and soon Tony was standing inside the small, dark room.

Bruce was lying on a bed in the corner, curled into a tight ball. As he heard the door open, he yanked the blankets over his head.

"What's the matter?" Tony asked jokingly. "Didn't you miss me?"

There was a pause. Then Bruce slowly sat up. "Tony? Is that really you? What are you doing here?"

"Yes, it's me. In the flesh. Or metal. Whatever. And, obviously, I'm here to rescue you. What else would I be doing here? Now come on, we've got a schedule to keep."

Bruce didn't hesitate. He got up and followed Tony out the door. As he did so, Tony noticed that Bruce had a considerable limp that he hadn't had before. Tony tried not to think about what might have caused it.

There were no guards in the stairwell or in the hallways. This should have been reassuring, but it just made Tony suspicious. When they were almost at the front door, his suspicions were confirmed. More guards- still in military uniforms, and still carrying stolen weapons- surrounded them.

"Stand down and no one gets hurt." One of them said.

"Not a chance." Tony replied. He wasn't about to let a thing like this stop him.

From then on it became a full-out firefight, with bullets and repulsor blasts firing every which way. Amidst the chaos, Tony almost didn't notice that two of the guards had grabbed Bruce and were trying to drag him off. Bruce was struggling frantically, but couldn't work his way out of their grip.

_This must have been their plan all along _realized Tony. Distract him while they capture Bruce again. Well, now their plan was about to be foiled. Tony broke away from the group of armed guards and headed towards the ones who had Bruce. He was all set to fire on them when they suddenly stopped of their own accord, dropping Bruce onto the floor and backing away in horror.

"Get out of here!" one of them shouted. "Everyone, right now!"

Immediately, the other guards began running to get out of the building. Tony just stood there in utter confusion at what was happening. That is, until he caught a glimpse of Bruce's eyes.

They had turned a bright, vivid green.

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Watching the transformation happen was completely fascinating. Tony hadn't gotten to see it when it happened in New York, but now he had a front-row seat. Bruce was obviously trying to fight it, but the change took place quickly anyways. Tan skin turned to green. Muscles swelled and bulged to inhuman proportions. Low, animal-like growls issued from his throat. In less than thirty seconds, Tony was left standing in front of a _very _pissed-off Hulk.

The Hulk wasted no time in starting to smash up the building. He let loose mighty roars as he slammed his fists into every available surface. All Tony could do was to try and dodge him. This was nothing like how the Hulk had behaved in New York. Then, he had listened to orders. He hadn't just destroyed things indiscriminately. He had stayed relatively focused on the mission. Right now, his only focus seemed to be on destroying as much of this hated place as possible. It was the sort of sight that made Tony very glad to be inside a suit of strong metal armor.

On the other hand, if he could manage to get Hulk outside and away from the facility, then this new turn of events could actually be in Tony's favor. Much like him, the Hulk could travel fast and far with relative ease. The two of them could get away from here without Tony being slowed down by a passenger. All he had to do was keep Hulk away from populated areas.

And, of course, he had to convince Hulk to leave. That was easier said than done. Hulk seemed determined to smash the facility to the ground, to leave absolutely nothing left of the place where he had been held prisoner. And really, Tony couldn't blame him.

"Hey! Big guy!" he shouted, trying to catch Hulk's attention. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work.

"Hey!" Tony shouted again. He fired one of his repulsors at a wall near Hulk, being careful not to actually hit him. _This_ worked. Hulk turned snarled and turned around to face Tony.

"Easy now. I wasn't trying to hurt you. I just wanted you to listen to me." Tony said, hoping that Hulk was still as friendly towards him as he had been the last time they saw each other. Tony really wasn't in the mood to be pummeled by giant green fists tonight.

Hulk snarled again, but didn't make any threatening moves.

Tony took that as a good sign. "C'mon. We've got to go." He said. "Seriously, just follow me. We'll get out of here and you'll never have to go back ever again. I promise." He said, hoping that this was a promise he could keep.

Hulk appeared to consider this for a moment. Then he gave one last ferocious roar and followed Tony out of the building.

After that, escape was easy. Everyone else who had been in the facility seemed to have fled, so there was no more resistance. Tony and Hulk travelled together for quite some time, with Hulk making huge leaps and Tony flying around him and keeping him going in the right direction. They went a long ways like this, but after a while Hulk began to slow down. A bit later he stopped completely, sitting down on the ground with a huff.

"Wait, why are you stopping? We're not there yet." Tony asked.

Hulk didn't move. Clearly, he thought that this was a perfectly good place to stay.

_Fine, then _thought Tony. He landed next to Hulk. They could afford to take a break. Besides, maybe this meant that Hulk was going to turn back into Bruce. That would be good. Sure, Hulk was faster, but Tony couldn't very well fly into Malibu with a giant green rage monster, could he?

So he waited. And waited. At least Hulk had picked a nice place to settle, all full of trees and bushes and other green leafy shit. Huh. Green. Maybe that was why Hulk liked it here. Maybe he thought the plants were his cousins or something.

…That made no sense, did it? This was the sort of thing that happened when you stayed awake for too many days in a row. Your brain started to do strange things.

Hulk was still sitting on the ground with closed eyes, but so far had shown no signs of turning changing. Tony kept waiting, wondering how long this was going to take. Finally, Hulk began to shrink. The Hulk-to-Bruce transformation was just as fascinating as the Bruce-to-Hulk transformation. And both made Tony wonder how many supposedly-concrete laws of nature were being broken right before his eyes. Heck, even just the physics involved in keeping Bruce's _pants _intact were completely impossible, and that was mild compared to everything else the transformation entailed.

Before long, Hulk and finished shrinking down and Bruce was lying on the ground. Tony knelt down next to him- a little awkwardly, due to the suit- and gently shook Bruce's shoulder to try and wake him up.

Bruce pulled away from the unexpected touch, his whole body tensing up as if he expected an attack. Then he opened his eyes, saw Tony, and relaxed slightly.

"We…we got out?"

"Yep" answered Tony. "You're a free man now. No cages, no tests, no…whatever."

"Where are we now?" Bruce asked, sitting up.

"No idea. Hulk decided to stop here, and I figured it was best not to argue. But now, we really should be getting back to my place. All this nature-y stuff is nice, but it gets old fast."

Bruce nodded, but didn't stand up. "You didn't need to do this for me, you know. You were putting yourself at risk."

"I was never in any real danger." Tony said flippantly. "I've got the suit." He tapped on the armor. "Now get up and grab onto me so I can fly us out of here. Be sure to hold on tight. We've still got a ways to go, and it would really suck if you fell off halfway there."

Bruce did as he was told. "Thank you" he said quietly, right before the two of them took off into the early morning sky.


	4. Chapter 4

It was well into morning by the time that Tony and Bruce reached Tony's house. They landed in…well, Bruce wasn't quite sure. It looked like a cross between a garage, a workshop, and a laboratory. Computers were everywhere. Tools covered almost every available surface. It was spectacular- some of the machinery in there looked like it must be ten or twenty years ahead of current technology. Unfortunately, right now Bruce was too nervous to appreciate it properly. All of his senses were on high alert. His mind was busy cataloguing every exit and potential hiding place, just in case he needed them. That was one result of spending five years on the run- you became really good at paranoia.

Tony finished taking off his suit. "Look at that." He said, holding up the helmet. "They scratched it. I just fixed this, and they mess it up again." He looked at the helmet again, and frowned. "Maybe with the next one, I'll make something better. Something that doesn't scratch." He set the helmet down on one of the workbenches and pulled up a computer screen, apparently deciding that this new idea needed to be dealt with right away. "I should make it stronger, too…the helmet's one of the most important parts, you know. It can never be too well protected."

Bruce just gave a small nod, unsure of what to say. He was hesitant to interrupt Tony, and normally he wouldn't have even considered it. But right now he had just spent a significant period of time flying at relatively high altitude at night with no protection besides a pair of half-shredded pants. In other words, he was cold.

Luckily, Tony noticed on his own "So…I guess you'll have to borrow my clothes again, won't you?" he said, noticing the way that Bruce had huddled in on himself.

Bruce gave another small nod. "If it's not a problem"

"No problem at all. C'mon."

Tony temporarily left his work behind and led Bruce to a bedroom, found him some clothes, and left. It was just like it had been at Stark Tower two weeks ago- except that this building was fully intact, of course.

When Bruce was done getting dressed, he stepped out into the hallway. As soon as he did so, a voice spoke up seemingly out of nowhere.

"_Would you like directions back to where Sir is?"_

Bruce froze. It was possible that the voice was simply coming from some unseen source- maybe even from the house itself. Tony _did _seem like the sort of person who would build a talking house and not warn anyone about it. Yet, at the same time, it was also possible that Bruce had finally lost his grip on sanity and was now hallucinating a helpful, posh, disembodied voice. After all, it wasn't the first time he had heard voices from inside his head- although the other times it was always the Hulk, and therefore a very different set of circumstances.

Bruce cleared his throat. Even if the voice _was _inside his head, at least no one was around to hear him talking back.

"Yes?" He responded cautiously

The voice began giving him directions. Bruce followed them, and ended up back at the workshop-garage where they had landed initially. That was a good sign. If the voice knew its way around this house, then it was probably _not_ a figment of his imagination.

Tony was sitting in front of a large array of screens, working on what looked like schematics for an Iron Man suit.

"I see JARVIS showed you around," he said as Bruce walked in. "Good. I figured you could probably get back here on your own, but I don't really like people just wandering around my house unsupervised."

"Jarvis?" Bruce asked. "Was that…the voice I heard?"

Tony nodded. "He's an AI. Runs the house. Does a good job of it, too."

"_Thank you, sir." _

"You're very welcome." Tony answered. He sounded slightly smug, like a proud parent showing off their child's accomplishments.

_The house does talk. Sort of. _Bruce thought. That was…reassuring. In an odd way.

He sat and watched Tony work for a minute or two, until Tony spoke up again.

"So what do you plan to do now that you're free? Go back into hiding?"

"I guess so." Bruce said. To be honest, he still expected to be captured before he could do anything.

"Any idea where you'll go?"

"Not yet."

Tony swiped his finger across one of the screens, adding another modification to the suit design he was working on. "You can stay here for a few days," he said. "Just until you find somewhere else to go."

"Thank you." Bruce said quietly. A few simple words didn't seem like nearly enough in comparison to what Tony was trying to do for him, but it was all he had to give right now.

After that, Tony soon became too absorbed with his new suit designs to continue making conversation. This suited Bruce just fine- he wasn't in much of a talking mood. They spent the hour or so in silence until JARVIS spoke up.

"_Sir, there is someone at the door."_

Tony sighed and looked up from his work. "Who is it?" He asked. "I wasn't expecting anybody today."

"_Natasha Romanov, sir"_

"If I ignore her, do you think she'll go away?"

"_The odds of that occurring are very low."_

"That's what I thought." Tony muttered, standing up. "Stay here" he said to Bruce. "I'll handle this."

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Natasha Romanov stood outside the door to Tony Stark's house, waiting to be let in. This was ridiculous. Why had Fury chosen her for this? It was well known that Stark didn't like her and didn't trust her. Assigning her- and _only her, _no backup- to a task like this only made an already difficult mission even more likely to fail.

The door opened. "Can I help you?" Tony asked, a bit rudely. There was engine grease on one of his hands, and he looked as if he hadn't slept properly for at least a few days.

"I was hoping to talk to you." Natasha said in a pleasant voice. Sweet-talking was unlikely to work here, but it never hurt to try. "May I come in?"

"No." Tony tried to close the door, but Natasha stopped him.

"Stark, we both know that I don't give up that easily." She said.

Tony grumbled something that sounded like an insult. He didn't let her in, but at least he stepped outside so that they could speak.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I think you know that already."

"Try me."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I was sent here, by Fury, to bring Doctor Banner back into SHIELD custody."

"You? Alone? They really thought that that would work?"

"Apparently, Director Fury has a great deal of faith in me."

Tony looked just as skeptical as Natasha felt. "Right. Well, either way, you're out of luck. Bruce isn't here." He turned to go back inside. She stopped him again.

"I know you're lying." She said.

"And what makes you so sure?"

"Doctor Banner was implanted with a tracking device. No matter where he goes, SHIELD can find him."

For a moment, Tony looked honestly surprised. Then it passed. "Okay, so you know he's here. You're still not getting him back."

"As I said before, it's not your decision." Natasha said, in a slightly softer tone. "Or his, or even mine."

"That's where you're wrong. See, I've got access to SHIELD's files- and all their dirty little secrets. What do you think would happen if the public got a hold of that information? I can't imagine they'd be too happy with some of the things your organization gets up to." He crossed his arms over his chest triumphantly.

Natasha had expected that Tony would pull something like this. She had even warned Fury about it. He hadn't seemed as concerned about the possibility of blackmail as she was. In fact, he had told her to forget about it. That wasn't like him at all- Fury liked to have a plan for all possible outcomes. That odd behavior had bothered her then, and it bothered her even more now.

Tony was still waiting for a response. If she could keep him talking, it would give her the time to figure out what to do.

"Are you really prepared to do that?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"Absolutely.

"And what if it doesn't work?"

"It'll work." Tony said confidently. "Now, why don't you just go back to SHIELD and tell Fury that I'm not about to go along with his plan this time?"

This gave her an idea. "I'm sure Fury will be _very _interested in what you have to say, Mr. Stark. Thank you for your time."

She turned and left. That had not gone well at all, but it had gone exactly as she expected. At least now, she knew what to do next. She _was _going to go to Fury, and tell him just what had happened- that Stark had been uncooperative and had threatened blackmail against SHIELD. Then Fury, with whatever hidden agenda he had, could deal with it himself.

It was far from a perfect solution, but it seemed the most fitting given the circumstances.

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Natasha spoke to Director Fury and, the next day, Director Fury went to speak to Tony.

Unlike Natasha, Fury didn't have the decency to come right to Tony's house. Instead, he ambushed him outside of a deli. All Tony wanted to do was get a sandwich, and now a one-eyed man was glaring at him from the rolled-down window of a fancy car.

"Mr. Stark" said Fury. "We need to talk."

Damn it. He had already been pestered by one spy this week, and he didn't really want to make it two.

"Can it wait?"

Fury just kept glaring. Or maybe that was just what his face looked like. Either way, it was pretty obvious that whatever he wanted was not going to wait.

"Just get in."

He did, and Fury began driving. They didn't seem to be going anywhere in particular. Fury probably was just using the car because it gave a combination of privacy and style. Even Tony had to admit that, were he the sort of person that _got_ intimidated, a car like this would be way more intimidating than the donut shop Fury had met him at last time

Fury started talking first. "Agent Romanov tells me that you and Dr. Banner have plans to blackmail SHIELD."

"Stop right there." Tony said. "If you're here to talk me out of it, that's not going to work."

"Actually, I'm here to suggest that you go a little further."

For a moment, Tony was speechless. Luckily, he recovered quickly.

"What the hell? You _want _me to blackmail you?"

"No." Fury said flatly. "However, I would like you to _threaten _it. You see, I and other influential members of SHIELD believe that Dr. Banner's…._talents _would be of more use as a member of the Avengers Initiative than as a research specimen. This is why he was recruited to help find the Tesseract. It is also why you don't currently have SHIELD agents beating down your door to find him and bring him back."

"Yeah, that still doesn't make any sense. If you don't want him locked up then why can't you, oh, I don't know, _not lock him up_? What's with all the smoke and mirrors?"

"Because it's not my decision."

Tony was getting really tired of hearing that phrase. Why couldn't anyone just make a damn decision around here?

Fury continued. "Despite the name, SHIELD is not the only group involved with the SHIELD Bioweapon Research Facility. The World Security Council also has significant influence- and, as you may have noticed, so does the military. And they do not think that Dr. Banner should be released."

"And you want me to convince them otherwise."

"Exactly."

Tony frowned. This was a dilemma. On one hand, he really didn't want to be a pawn in one of Fury's scheme. On the other hand, he also didn't want to put a personal vendetta above Bruce's well-being.

"Fine" he said. "What do you need me to do?"

"On my end, I'll be working to convince the military and the World Security Council that bringing Dr. Banner back into custody is more trouble than it's worth, as well as proving that he will not be a threat to public safety. _Your _job is to make _my _job easier, in whatever way you deem fit." He pulled the car over and looked at Tony. "Think you can do that?"

"No problem." Tony said, getting out of the car.

"Good."

Tony didn't leave right away. "This is manipulation, you know."

Fury gave him one last stern look. "No, Mr. Stark" he said. "This is _politics."_


	5. Chapter 5

It was a beautiful day in Malibu, Florida. The sky was clear, the sun was warm, and Tony Stark had just finished breaking into secure military files.

This, he was sure, was not what Fury had meant when he told Tony to do "whatever he deemed fit". Actually, that was part of the appeal- Tony had agreed to go along with Fury's plan, but that didn't mean that he had to be nice about it.

Of course, that wasn't the _only _reason why he had chosen this particular method. Blackmailing the military was guaranteed to be effective, even more effective than blackmailing SHIELD. And, from what Tony had seen so far, the military sort of deserved it. He had always known that they did some questionable things- hell, he had sometimes been _involved _in those questionable things. But those had (mostly) been for good causes. Some of what he was finding now, as he poured through the military's darkest and most well-hidden secrets, was most definitely _not. _

Plus, it turned out that they had been keeping a sizeable store of Stark Industries weaponry without permission, for use in "extreme circumstances". Tony liked to make sure that no one messed with his stuff and got away scot-free.

So yes, it was risky- but well worth it in Tony's eyes. Bruce didn't seem to think so. He had agreed to help some, at first. But before long, Tony became frustrated with Bruce's overly-cautious attitude.

"This isn't working." Tony said. "Look, I'll handle this. You just…do something else."

"You wouldn't be involved in this if it weren't for me." Bruce reminded him. "I should be helping."

"Sure. Problem is, you're _not _helping. You're barely even trying."

Bruce took off his glasses for a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am trying," he said wearily.

"Try harder." Tony said, turning back to his computer console. Okay, maybe that had been a little rude. Or even a lot rude. In his defense, it was incredibly frustrating to be helping someone who wasn't holding up their end of the bargain.

Bruce was frustrated too, although he didn't let it show. Logically he knew that, for this plan to have any chance of working, he had to take risks and do things that seemed inadvisable. But that was easier said than done when all his experience was telling him _this won_'_t work, you can't get out, the harder you struggle the worse it'll be. _Every other escape attempt he ever tried had ended the same way. They'd catch him, drag him back, before subjecting him to humiliating and agonizing "tests" that were really just thinly-veiled punishments for daring to oppose them. There was nothing he could ever do to stop it. Bruce never thought he'd be the sort of person to give up and let his enemies win. He always had tried to stay one step ahead, no matter what. Yet it seemed that somehow, somewhere along the way, he _had _given up. He didn't want to, and he hated himself for it, but he still had given up. And it wouldn't be something that would be easy to get past.

He didn't say any of this aloud, though. He backed off, like Tony told him to, and instead just sat hunched over in a chair, staring at his hands as he twisted them together, over and over, again and again.

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After that, Tony noticed that Bruce did actually start trying a little harder. It wasn't as much progress as Tony would have liked, and he still didn't understand why Bruce was being so cautious, but he decided not to press those particular issues any farther. The dejected way Bruce had acted after Tony mentioned it the first time had hit him harder than he expected.

In the end, it was actually Pepper who came up with the next suggestion for how to goad the military and World Security Council into releasing Bruce. She wasn't really supposed to know about Fury's plan, but Tony had let it slip anyways.

"I think we should arrange some interviews for you." She said casually to Bruce one morning over breakfast.

Tony, who had been standing nearby contemplating how much caffeine he'd need to get through the day, looked up. "Interviews? Seriously?"

"Bruce needs to be put in the public eye," she explained. "That way, If he were to suddenly disappear…"

"Then everyone would want to know what had happened. And I would tell them" Tony finished. "SHIELD wouldn't be able to cover things up as smoothly this time"

It was so obvious. Why hadn't he thought of it himself?

"Do you really think it'll work?" asked Bruce. "I'm not really a…people person. And the 'other guy' is even worse."

_Oh right. _That was why he hadn't thought of it. Bruce could hardly make eye contact- how would he manage in front of a camera?

Pepper must have noticed the dubious looks on both men's faces, but she stayed confident "It all depends on how you present yourself. We'll find something that works." She paused. "As for the Hulk…"

"Not a problem." Tony interrupted again. "Aren't you forgetting? The big guy's a hero."

He was exactly as confident as he sounded. Sure, the Hulk had done some serious damage in his time. However, so had Tony, and everyone seemed to be okay with _that._

Pepper was now the one looking skeptical, but she just shrugged. "That might just work." she said. She looked over at Bruce. "What do you think?"

Bruce looked unsure and, for a moment, Tony thought he was going to back down. Then he nodded, slowly.

"Well, that settles it," said Pepper. She smiled at Bruce. "It's time for you to become a celebrity."

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"Are you sure this is how it's supposed to look?" Bruce asked, looking in the mirror. Tony had insisted that, for his very first interview, Bruce should wear a suit. But suits didn't seem to, well…suit him.

"Not on you, apparently." Tony looked at him appraisingly. "You were right. Shirt and slacks is the way to go."

This was a relief. Bruce had never been used to fancy clothes, and the suit felt awkward and uncomfortable. It was a small thing, but it was just another source of tension that he didn't need right now. Bruce was always a quiet person, not the sort who would willingly talk to a stranger with the knowledge that it was going to be widely published. Living at the facility had only worsened his dislike of social situations.

He went back into the guest room and shed the unfamiliar clothes, changing back into what he had been wearing before- a purple shirt and brown pants. These weren't really his clothes either. They had been bought for him, but with Tony's money. Bruce had been reluctant to accept such expensive charity when clothes from a thrift store would have done as well for everyday use, but both Tony and Pepper agreed that, if Bruce was going to be put in the public eye, he needed to look the part.

Bruce stepped back out.

"Much better." Said Tony.

"Thanks" Bruce said. Without realizing it, he began to fidget with one of the buttons on his shirt.

"Stop that." Tony said. "If that falls off, I don't know how to sew it back on. I might not even have thread."

Bruce stopped. "Sorry" he mumbled. This shouldn't be as nerve-wracking as it was. It was just a public place, with lots of people, in a stressful situation, where any number of things might go wrong…

That line of thought wasn't helping. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. There was no guarantee that this would work, but staying as relaxed as possible would give it more of a chance. Baby steps, he reminded himself. You can do this.

Tony looked as his watch. "You should probably leave soon." He said. "It's probably good to get there early. I never do, but…" he shrugged. "I also show up drunk for half my interviews. Not the best role model, in other words."

Bruce nodded. "Right."

"This'll work, you know." Tony reminded him.

Bruce wasn't so sure, but he still nodded again.

"Right."

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Tony drove Bruce to where the interview was taking place himself, saying that he wanted to make sure Bruce got there safely.

"No one will try and grab you if you're with me." He said. "And they won't try anything in such a public place either. You'll be fine."

Tony drove away as soon as Bruce got out of the car, and Bruce could see why. There were paparazzi everywhere, probably hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous Tony Stark. When they didn't get that, they settled for the next best thing- snapping a few pictures of Bruce. Pepper had been right- the media was eager for anything involving the Avengers. Being around so many people and so many cameras felt strange. A small part of Bruce's mind kept going _get out of here, don't let them see you, don't let them get you. _The muscles in his legs twitched with the urge to run away. A leftover instinct from being in hiding, he supposed. Back then, being caught on camera would make him an easy target for the people hunting him down. He kept calm, though, and the "other guy" never even so much as stirred.

The interview itself went well. The interviewer-a very perky young woman- mostly just wanted to know about the battle in New York, and particularly about how the Hulk had saved Tony's life. These were much harder to answer. Bruce shared very few of the Hulk's memories, which most of the time was something he was grateful for. The few memories he had of being the Hulk were generally very unpleasant, and Bruce had no desire for more painful memories in his life. He had enough on his own. Right now, though, it made things a little more difficult. The interviewer soon realized that these questions weren't getting her anywhere and switched to asking about the Hulk- how he was created, what caused the transformations, that sort of thing. This, at least, was something Bruce knew about. But then she started asking Bruce about the criticisms against him and the Hulk. He knew the criticisms she mentioned very well- they were the same ones hurled at him by his own brain, day in and day out. There could never be a proper answer to these criticisms, because many of them were absolutely and completely _right. _

He didn't say that, of course. He gave politely avoidant answers, silently reminding himself that in this case, lies were in everyone's best interest. The potential damage the Hulk could do on his own paled in comparison to what could happen if the military successfully weaponized him.

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There was another interview a few days later. This one hadn't been Pepper's idea- someone had contacted the, saying they had heard about the first interview and wanted to do one of their own. To Bruce this felt suspicious, but neither Pepper nor Tony had been concerned.

"News travels fast." Tony said with a shrug. "Everyone wants to hear about the Avengers nowadays. Besides, this is what we wanted- more publicity for you."

Bruce was still uneasy, but since he had no real objections he agreed to go.

It started out similar to the first one. Paparazzi, flashing cameras, and a feeling of wanting to run away that was only enhanced by the trepidation already there. So far, it seemed like his fears were unfounded. But then he entered the room where the actual interview was to take place.

It was almost completely dark. From what little he could see in the low light, the room also seemed to be completely empty. No chairs, no cameras- there didn't even seem to be another person. This wasn't right. Had he gone into the wrong place by mistake? Had he come at the wrong time?

Bruce reached for the door handle. If no one was there, they couldn't fault him for leaving, right?

But the handle wouldn't turn. He tried again and again, feeling his heart beat a little faster every time the door failed to open. He yanked on the handle, but it still wouldn't budge. The door was definitely locked.

It was locked, and Bruce was trapped.

This had to be some sort o mistake. He had stepped into the wrong room, and the door had accidentally locked behind him. That was all. It would be fine. He wasn't trapped, he wasn't cornered. Everything would be okay.

Bruce wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure- himself, or the "other guy". Either way, it wasn't working very well. He leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths to steady himself. Even if he _was _trapped, letting the "other guy" out would be disastrous. He had to calm down, had to get himself under control, had to…

A soft noise came from across the room. Bruce's body tensed up, his ears straining to determine the cause and source of the sound.

_Tap…tap…tap…_

Footsteps. Definitely footsteps- and from the sound of it, they were coming closer. Evidently the room wasn't as empty as he had first thought.

_Tap…tap…_

The steps kept coming, maddeningly slow. Bruce almost wanted them to speed up, wanted whatever was going to happen to just _happen _already, so that he could do something besides standing there at the complete mercy of whoever was approaching him.

He got his wish soon enough. The footsteps stopped for a brief moment, which was almost as frightening as their approach. Then, all of a sudden, Bruce felt someone swoop in and grab him tightly, pinning him into the corner of the room so he couldn't escape and stuffing a wad of cloth into his mouth so he couldn't scream. In that moment time seemed to stop, the world narrowing down to only two things- the feeling of the stranger's heavy hands holding him down, and the frenzied pounding of his heart against his ribcage.

To Bruce, that moment felt as if it lasted ages. In reality, it was only a second or two before he was snapped out of his paralyzed stupor by a voice whispering in his ear.

"Don't act so surprised," the stranger said harshly. The sensation of hot, damp breath on skin made Bruce shudder involuntarily. "You knew General Ross would never let you go so easily."


	6. Chapter 6

_You knew General Ross would never let you go so easily…_

The stranger's words echoed through Bruce's mind. So this _was_ a trap. Someone had lured him here, under a seemingly-innocent guise, to do…what? Not to kill him, surely. Capture would have seemed likely, but it didn't fit with what was happening. If they were trying to capture him then there was really no need for the darkened room, the slow approach, the gag, or the physical restraint. All they needed was a powerful tranquilizer- something they had never hesitated to use on him at the facility.

Trying to figure out the stranger's motives, instead of focusing solely on what was happening, actually helped to calm Bruce down slightly. If he could mentally remove himself from the situation, see it as a puzzle to be solved rather than a struggle to be fought, then it became much easier to cope with.

This fleeting composure was quickly shattered when he felt the edge of a knife press into the bare skin of his arm. It wasn't pressed hard enough to draw blood, not even hard enough to break the skin, and really posed no danger at all. Logically, he knew that the stranger wouldn't use the knife to hurt him, not without proper protection against the toxic effects of Bruce's blood. But the sensation of the sharp, cold metal was driving all traces of logic from his mind. All that was left were memories of scalpels and red-stained gloves and _no, it hurts, it hurts, stop it please stop it I'll do anything just make it stop. _

Bruce let out a muffled cry and began to struggle harder against the stranger's hands. _No, no, no. _He was here, not there, not at the facility, no matter what his mind was telling him. There was still a chance to escape. Using all his strength, he shoved the stranger off of him and ran towards the door, yanking the makeshift gag out of his mouth as he did so. The door was still locked, of course, but maybe it was possible to break it down. Not an ideal solution, but it was the only one he could think of under these circumstances. He aimed a solid kick at the door. It creaked, but didn't give. He tried again, acutely aware of how fast his heart was racing. If this didn't work soon, it wouldn't matter how strong the door was- or the walls, or the people outside. The "other guy" would break through them all.

Needless to say, he hoped it would work soon.

He rammed his foot into the door again. It finally gave way this time, swinging open. Bruce ran out of the room. He expected the stranger to chase him, to try and stop him from getting away, but a quick glance over his shoulder proved that wasn't the case. But why not? Why go through the trouble of trapping him in a room, only to ignore him when he managed to escape?

A sudden spasm hit his body, stopping him dead in his tracks and almost knocking him off his feet. The sound of growling filled his ears. He had gotten out, seemingly just in time, but it was still too late.

He was hit by another shudder, this one forcing him to steady himself against the wall just to remain upright. This couldn't be happening. Not here, not now. But it _was._ People were going to die, buildings were going to be destroyed, and he didn't know how to stop it. And once the World Security Council heard about it, Bruce would be taken back to the facility and used as a catalyst for even _more_ death and destruction. It was exactly what he wanted to avoid.

And maybe it _could _still be avoided. Maybe he could find a way, any way, to stop the transformation before it finished. Was that even possible? He hadn't ever managed it before, despite how often or how hard he tried. But right now, it might be his last chance.

Bruce allowed himself to slowly sink to the floor, trying to steady his breathing. Calming down right now was far easier said than done. His whole body was unbelievably tense. He couldn't concentrate. The growling coming from inside his head had grown louder- no words this time, just a furious roar. It would be easy, so easy, to just let go and allow the Hulk to do what he wanted. But he wasn't. He wouldn't give up. Not like before. Never again.

It was impossible to tell how long it took before he finally managed to relax, muscles unclenching and heart rate returning to normal. All he knew was that- thank god- he _had _managed to relax. It didn't matter how long it had taken, or even how he had managed to do it. All that mattered was that it _worked. _And now the only thing left to do was to get out of here before the stranger came back. Bruce let out a long shaky breath and opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a surprising sight.

People. Looking at him.

_Damn. _

He closed his eyes and sighed. It wasn't really surprising, now that he thought about it. Doing what he had just done was bound to attract some curiosity, especially if the people watching didn't realize the danger of what they were seeing. That didn't make it any less awkward, though.

Bruce opened his eyes again and stood up slowly, trying to pretend that he wasn't being watched. The best thing to do was still to leave, before anything else could happen. There was just one small problem- he didn't have transportation or a phone, and trying to walk back to Tony's house would probably be even more dangerous that staying here- besides, it was pretty far away. Someone was supposed to pick him up at the time the interview was supposed to be over, but Bruce didn't like the idea of having to wait here for very long.

"Excuse me?" he asked hesitantly. "Does anyone have a cell phone I could borrow, just for a minute?" There. That sounded better.

"I've got a phone." A young woman came forward. "Here."

"Thanks." Bruce tried to give her a polite smile, but he wasn't sure if his expression actually changed.

"No problem," she said. For some reason, she kept glancing at Bruce's wrist. Curious, he looked at it too. There was a bruise forming from where he had been held down. How had he not noticed that before?

Well, it didn't really matter. He dialed Tony's number into the phone- Pepper had told it to him, saying it was "just in case something unexpected happens." He'd have to remember to thank her for that.

"Who are you, what do you want, and how the _hell_ did you get my number?" Tony's voice, coming from the phone, sounded understandably irritated.

"It's me. Bruce. Are you busy?"

"Not really, no. But my second and third questions still stand."

"Pepper gave me your number. And I need a favor." _Yet again. _"Something…happened. The whole thing, it was a set-up. Someone attacked me, and…"

Tony interrupted. "Wait, someone _attacked _you?"

"Yes. I'll explain everything later, but for now I…I just think I should get out of here."

"Yeah, sure, sure. I'll be there in a few minutes. Don't go anywhere."

"I won't." Bruce said, but Tony had already hung up.

Bruce went outside to wait for Tony to come and pick him up. The aftereffects of such a large adrenaline rush had left him feeling shaky, tense, and a little sick. Being outside, in the fresh air and away from the prying eyes of the people inside, helped quite a bit.

While waiting, he began to wonder what it was about this particular circumstance that made him able to stop the Hulk when he had failed so many times before. If he knew how it had happened, then maybe he could do it again. But, try as he might, he couldn't seem to pin down any one thing that made this time so different from the others. It might have just been sheer luck, but Bruce didn't like that theory. Luck was intangible, unscientific. And, perhaps most importantly, luck was not always repeatable.

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It didn't take long before Tony showed up.

"You look like crap," he said, as Bruce got into the car. "Still got all your clothes on though, I wasn't expecting that." Probably realizing that a statement like that required a bit of context, he continued talking. "I mean, when you said someone attacked you, I sort of figured that you had turned into the Hulk and smashed their face in. I guess not, huh?" He paused briefly. "So what _did _happen?"

Bruce told him, as simply and as quickly as he could. Talking about it was strange. Even though it had just happened a short while ago, the incident seemed as hazy and indistinct as a distant memory.

"So you think the military was behind this?" Tony asked once Bruce was done. "Were they trying to capture you? Not the brightest idea, not when I'm dangling blackmail over their heads."

"They weren't trying to capture me. It was something else." While he had been trying to hold down the Hulk, he had finally realized just what Ross's plan was. "I think they were _trying_ to get me to transform. So they could prove to everyone that it's not safe to let me out." It was unsettling to think that someone would endanger themselves and who knows how many other people just to prove a point, but it was the best explanation he could find.

"Still not the brightest idea." Tony said. "You really think they'd go that far?"

"If General Ross was behind it?" Bruce asked. "Yes, they would."

There was a considerable pause after that. Then, out of the blue, Tony began talking about the new suit he was working on. He wasn't the sort of person who could easily tolerate silence- at least, not very often. He kept holding this mostly-one-sided discussion for the rest of the drive. He stopped for a moment when they reached his house, but spoke up again shortly after they walked in.

"Hey, how about you come work with me?" he said. "I've got to rework the arc reactor design a little, give it some more power. You could have a look at it, tell me what you think. It's not that I can't do it myself, of course- I built the thing, so of course I can figure out how to improve it. And generally, I prefer to work alone. But it'd help to have a second pair of hands. If you want."

He sounded so excited that Bruce couldn't bring himself to say no. Besides, he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't interested in taking a close look at the arc reactor. He nodded.

The next few hours went fairly well. Tony showed Bruce the schematics of the arc reactor, as well as his plans for modifying it. There was more than a little bragging involved, but that was understandable. Bruce did, however, wonder why Tony so willingly shared this information with him. From Tony's reaction at finding out that the military still had his tech, Bruce had gotten the impression that Tony liked to keep his creations to himself. Yet here he was, freely giving away information about how a critical part of his suits- and himself- was put together. And to a man he had known less than a month, at that.

Maybe it was trust. Maybe it was something else. Whatever the reason, the result was the same. Tony found a new person to work with, and Bruce got the chance to do actual, meaningful work again. What's more, it was also a way to try and forget about what had happened earlier that day. For a while, it even worked- sure, his legs felt weak and his concentration was shot to hell, but he was _fine. _Everything was _fine. _He had been through worse before, and there was no reason why he shouldn't be able to handle something like this. No reason at all.

…That was a complete lie, and he knew it. Everything _wasn't _fine. Yes, he had been through worse and yes, it was over now. One thing he had learned over the years, though, was that things like this tended to stay with you long after they were over. And sometimes, when that happened, it took very little to push you back over the edge. A sight, a sound…or, in this case, a touch.

It was a simple mistake. Tony wanted to show Bruce something so, without thinking, he grabbed Bruce's wrist and tried to lead him. In doing so, his fingers pressed hard against the bruise on Bruce's wrist. It was a little thing, and in almost any other situation he would have been able to just shrug it off. But right now, when he was so close to the tipping point already, it was enough. Bruce jerked his arm away, out of Tony's grip, and for a moment just stood there. The tightness in his chest and throat had gotten worse, and his hands were starting to tremble. The incident no longer felt like a distant memory- now it felt as real and solid as if it was all happening again.

_Tight hands/cold metal/can't escape_

"Are you okay?" asked Tony.

Bruce didn't say anything. He just sunk down into the nearest chair, burying his face in one hand and wrapping the other arm protectively around his torso. His breathing was shallow and uneven

_tighthands coldmetal can'tescape_

Tony, meanwhile, was utterly confused and starting to feel a little nervous himself. What exactly were you supposed to do when someone started having a nervous breakdown right in front of you? This, unlike a great many things, was out of his league. You couldn't fix a person like you could a piece of machinery. Granted, there had been a few times since what happened in New York that Tony had felt a lot like how Bruce looked right now. The stillness and silence of night sometimes was a little too much like the icy darkness of space, and nightmares often were too much like the real thing. Problem was, Tony wasn't quite sure how to handle those situations either. How was he supposed to help with someone else's mental problems when he had trouble even managing his own?

At least Bruce seemed to be handling things okay on his own, without Tony's help. He was still hunched over and shaking, but he seemed to be breathing regularly again. Still, Tony wasn't the sort of person to stand by and do nothing. He just wasn't sure _what_ to do. "Comforting" had never really been a word used to describe him- suave, daring, or brilliant, yes, but not "comforting."

Then he got an idea. "Hey," he said to Dum-E, quietly so that Bruce couldn't hear. "Take this," he held up a tissue box. "Over to him," he pointed at Bruce, who was still sitting curled in on himself and seemingly oblivious to the outside world.

"Don't screw this up." Tony warned his robot. "I swear, if you do, I will reprogram you into a toaster." It was a completely empty threat, but it got the point across.

Dum-E rolled over to where Bruce was and then clumsily bumped the tissue box against his head. Bruce flinched at the unexpected touch, then looked up. Dum-E whirred and nudged him once more- on the shoulder, this time. Bruce looked a little puzzled at the sight of a robotic arm offering him tissues, but he took them anyways and gave Dum- E a weak smile. Score one for Stark ingenuity.

Or maybe not. Despite what Tony had thought, Bruce hadn't actually been crying before. But now, he was definitely teary-eyed. For a while, Tony thought that his idea had backfired. The goal was to make Bruce _less _upset, not more. Even Dum-E looked worried- or, at least, as worried as one could look without an actual face. But before long the crying abated and, despite his reddened eyes, Bruce looked much better.

Bruce _felt_ better, too. Relieved, in a way. It wasn't just that he hadn't broken down like this for a long time. It was that he hadn't _let _himself break down like this for a long time. Everything was kept bottled up inside for fear of what might happen if it leaked out. But it had, and now he felt as if some of the tension- not just from that day, but from _everything- _had been lifted from him.

Bruce wiped his eyes once more, then both he and Tony began to speak at the same time.

"I'm sorry…"

"What the…"

They both stopped for a moment. Tony took it upon himself to talk first.

"What the hell just happened?"

"I panicked." Bruce answered. "I shouldn't have, I know, but I'm really sorry and…"

"Wait, wait." Tony held up his hand. "Are you apologizing? Seriously?"

"…Yes?"

"Unbelievable" muttered Tony.

"What'd you say?" asked Bruce.

"Nothing. Never mind," answered Tony. "Do you want to get back to work now? I mean, it's fine if you don't, but I figured I'd ask, in case you did. Thoughtfulness, and all that."

Bruce nodded. "Just…no grabbing this time, okay?"

"Right. Got it."

The two of them stayed in Tony's workshop until late that evening, only taking a brief break to get dinner. Eventually, though, Bruce finally admitted to himself that he should probably get some sleep.

"You're leaving?" Tony asked. "Already?"

Bruce took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "It's getting late."

"Fair point. But I'm staying here. You can come back and finish up tomorrow morning."

"You want me to come back?" For some reason, he found this surprising.

"Course I do." Tony said idly, adjusting some of the hand joints on his new suit. "As far as lab partners go, you're not half bad. Aside from the crying thing, of course, because that was awkward and uncomfortable for all involved. But you don't try to hand me things, you go along with my ideas, , and you don't spray me with the fire extinguisher when I'm not actually on fire. Those things alone make you better than most people I've had to work with. Most, not all. Don't go getting a big head."

"I won't, I promise." Bruce said, turning to leave. No matter how Tony worded it, that was still a compliment.


	7. Chapter 7

This chapter has actually been done for about a week, but 's uploader is annoying and I kept putting it off. I'll be on-time for next chapter, promise.

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The next few days after that were uneventful. Tony spent most of his time working, either on company business or on his suits. He had already drawn up plans for a Mark IX and a Mark X. Anything to stay busy. Bruce worked with him, when he could. Even then, though, he constantly alternated between thinking about what might happen next and trying _not _to worry about what might happen next. The recent attack had been highly publicized. Someone had even managed to snap a few pictures of Bruce crumpled on the floor, desperately trying to hold off the transformation. The whole situation was a bit of a mixed bag- on one hand, almost turning into a rampaging green monster in the middle of a highly populated area looked bad. It _was _bad. But on the other hand, it showed that he did have some amount of control over the Hulk- at least, under certain circumstances. Public opinion was mixed, but that wasn't the only opinion that mattered. By this point, there was no doubt that SHIELD knew about what had happened. The military and the World Security Council knew too (although, certain military members had known about it all along). How would they see it?

They didn't find out until three days later. It started out as just another average morning. Or, at least, as average as things ever were in Tony's house. Pepper was busy getting ready for work. Tony claimed that he was getting ready for work as well, but in reality he was sitting at the table and playing a game on his cell phone. Bruce was sitting nearby, reading the newspaper. All in all, nothing out of the ordinary.

Then JARVIS spoke up. "Sir, you have a visitor."

"Is that Rhodey?" Pepper asked Tony. "You mentioned he was going to be coming over."

"_It is Agent Clint Barton, from SHIELD" _said JARVIS.

"From SHIELD? What do they want now?" Tony wondered aloud.

"You should probably go find out." Pepper told him. "Don't want to keep him waiting."

"I keep everyone waiting." Tony reminded her, but he was already on his way to answer the door. In all honesty, he was curious about why a SHIELD agent was coming over to his house. He hadn't done anything illegal or ill-advised lately, as far as he knew. It wasn't another worldwide emergency, was it? One of those was more than enough.

He opened the door.

"Mr. Stark?" said Clint.

"Agent Barton." _Oh, this guy. _The one who brought a bow and arrow to a robotic alien fight. He had also been at Coulson's funeral, hadn't he? God, he really hoped that Clint wasn't here to reminisce.

"Fury wants to see you." Clint said. "Something about Dr. Banner."

"And Fury couldn't come tell me that himself? Would've saved you the trip."

Clint shrugged. "He likes to delegate. Can't say I blame him, in this case. You're not very popular around SHIELD."

"Makes sense. Better question- if this isn't about me, why should I go?"

Clint raised an eyebrow at Tony's phrasing, but answered anyways. "He only asked for you, didn't tell me why." He peered around the corner to where Bruce was standing, watching the conversation. "I don't see why Banner can't come too, if he wants."

"Did he say I could?" asked Bruce.

"He never said you couldn't."

"Then I'm going. If it's about me, I should be there." For years, Bruce's life had been shaped by people and forces outside his control. He was ready for that to change.

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The drive was long. Tony kept trying to get more information out of Clint, with little success. Clint mostly ignored him, although with a much better attitude about it than Natasha would have had under the same circumstances. Finally, they arrived at their destination- a large, ordinary-looking, grey building. Clint showed them inside to where Fury was waiting.

"Mr. Stark, Dr. Banner." Fury seemed completely unsurprised that Bruce had shown up, which was odd. "I'd like the two of you to come with me."

"A meeting has been arranged with representatives from SHIELD, the military, and the WSC," he said, leading them down a hallway. "I don't think I need to explain to you what it's about, or how important it could be."

The three of them stopped in front of a door. Fury gave Bruce and Tony a sharp look. "This meeting was not easy to set up. I expect both of you to be on your best behavior, understand?"

Bruce nodded, looking down at the floor. Tony just folded his arms across his chest and said nothing.

Fury opened the door and led them inside. The room was brightly-lit, and in the center was a large table. Seated at the table were three people- a man and a woman who Bruce didn't recognize, and a man who he knew all too well.

General Ross.

"Directly Fury," said Ross. "I thought we all agreed that Banner _wouldn't _be here."

"It's simply not safe for someone with such…aggressive tendencies to be present at these discussions" added the unfamiliar woman.

"I know what we agreed upon," said Fury. "But seeing as Dr. Banner _is _here, I suggest that he be allowed to stay. Now, since these talks have been put off for so long already, I believe we should begin. Any objections?"

"Yes" said Ross. "Banner should be made to leave."

"Any other objections? No? Good." Fury gestured over towards the table. "Stark, Banner, take your seats."

They did. Fury remained standing. "First order of business," he said. "The unprovoked attack upon Dr. Banner."

Ross scowled. "I've already told you, the military was not involved in any way."

Apparently, Tony found this a bit suspicious. "Even if that isn't total bullshit- which I doubt- it still doesn't explain who _is _responsible."

"A rogue operative, maybe" Ross looked over at Fury. "Or maybe one of yours, director. Not everyone at SHIELD shares your views."

"My views are not of any concern here. Neither is the identity of the perpetrator. What _does _matter are the repercussions."

"No one was harmed," said the woman.

"Precisely my point, Ms. Lang." replied Fury. "Dr. Banner has shown himself capable of considerable restraint, given the circumstances."

"More restraint than I would have had," commented Tony. Fury glared at him.

"Your commentary is not necessary."

"Then why'd you invite me?"

The unfamiliar man began to speak, interrupting them. "In my opinion, nothing about the recent occurrence is of any concern."

Something about his voice- the cold, smooth tone, the hint of an accent- sent a sudden chill through Bruce's body. That voice sounded very familiar. Unpleasantly familiar.

The man continued talking. "The behavior shown by Banner during the events three days ago was an isolated occurrence, and should be treated as such. Despite numerous tests, it has never been proven that Banner has more than the most basic ability to control the beast."

Suddenly, Bruce realized where he knew that voice from. He _had _heard it before- in a sterile, echoing laboratory, coming from behind a surgical mask. The man was Dr. Kavich, one of the so-called "scientists" from the facility. And he, along with General Ross, would have a key role in deciding Bruce's future.

_Great._

Dr. Kavich was still talking- something about "public benefit" and "close to a breakthrough" and "for the greater good". Bruce managed to tune most of it out. He had heard Kavich- and the other scientists, as well- say things like this before. But it hadn't bothered him so much, back then. Now every word seemed to sting. At least the "other guy" was behaving himself, staying as a noticeable but not dangerous presence in the back of Bruce's mind. In a way, it made sense. The "other guy" didn't fully understand many things- pacifism and the sanctity of human life, just to name a few. But at least he understood self-preservation.

Even if Bruce wasn't going to become angry, Tony seemed determined to do it for him. During Kavich's long-winded speech, he had stood up and was now arguing loudly.

"How the hell could you say that? In case you haven't noticed, the guy you're talking about is _right in front of you._" He gestured towards Bruce.

"Mr. Stark." Fury said warningly. "You might want to settle down."

"Why should I? That guy's over there, calling Bruce 'classified military technology', saying he should be locked up, talking about him in the third person like he's not even there…"

Tony trailed off, perhaps realizing the irony of what he had just said. He sat back down.

"Wise decision," said Fury. He looked as if he was starting to deeply regret inviting Tony to this meeting.

Ms. Lang, who Bruce had decided must be the WSC representative, pursed her lips and frowned, looking judgmentally at Tony. "Mr. Stark's outburst notwithstanding, Dr. Kavich brought up several good points. There is no doubt that this "Hulk", if left uncontained, would pose a significant threat to the general population. It's already committed numerous crimes, that alone is more than enough to warrant imprisonment."

"No one said the Hulk would be allowed to run wild." Fury pointed out.

"And what would be stopping it?" Ross asked. "A creature like that is hard to control."

"Dr. Banner has done a pretty good job so far."

"We've been over this already," said Kavich, in an exasperated tone. "There is absolutely no evidence for your claim. Besides, there are other advantages in Banner remaining at the research facility. His physiology is completely unique. By letting that go, the world would be losing an invaluable source of knowledge. We can't let an opportunity like that pass us by."

"Dr. Banner has the potential to be 'invaluable' in other ways." Fury said. "I believe you all remember what happened in New York?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Bruce could see Tony shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He always looked unsettled whenever the battle against the Chitauri was mentioned. It was obviously a very sensitive topic, although Bruce wasn't quite sure why. It didn't seem right to ask.

"Yes, director, we are all very familiar with those events," said Ms. Lang. "And we are also familiar with the Avengers Initiative. But answer this," she leaned forward, resting her arms on the table and lacing her fingers together. "Realistically, how often do you think situations like that are going to happen?"

"Maybe more often than you'd think."

"Even if that _were _the case, it wouldn't be in your favor. The bioweapons that can be made from it will be much more powerful than the creature itself."

In a way, he was right. But that was part of the problem- more power meant more potential for disaster.

Tony spoke up, having recovered from his previous embarrassment. "Why are we even talking about weapons? Bruce isn't like a missile that can be left disarmed until you need it. He's a human being, doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Of course it does," Ms. Lang said calmly. "And I understand your point. But there are other things to take into account here."

"Besides, even _that _is questionable," added Dr. Kavich. "After all, it depends entirely on what should be considered a 'human being'…"

"Why?" asked Bruce, his voice flat and even. It felt as if everyone's eyes were on him. He didn't look up to check. "Why is it questionable?"

"Well, physically, you are, er, very…_different _from what is typically considered as 'human'. And the creature, this 'hulk'…it alone is unusual enough to raise certain questions. Further study is needed, certainly."

He was obviously a little flustered. This was the first time that he had actually spoken _to _Bruce, instead of just speaking _about _him. A year and a half, and they had interacted no more than a scientist and a petri dish would. It had never seemed unusual, it was just the way things were. It had barely even seemed wrong. Should it have?

Bruce gripped the edge of the table hard, knuckles turning white. Part of him wanted to shut up, right now, before he made things even worse than they already were. Part of him wanted to keep talking, to somehow make them see what he saw and feel what he felt.

"Is that how you justify it?" he said, keeping his voice as calm as possible. He needed to sound sure of himself, even if he wasn't. "Is that what helps you sleep at night? Because it never helped me."

"This is just what I was telling you, director." Ross said, ignoring Bruce entirely. "Banner is unstable. He had no business being here in the first place!"

"So everyone gets a say in how this turns out. Except me." Bruce was looking down at his hands, his lap, anywhere except for the faces of the people in front of him. This wasn't going to work. This had to work.

"I'm not asking for much," he said. "I only want to be left alone."

There was a pause. Tony, unsurprisingly, was first to break the silence.

"Also, if you take him back, I'll blackmail you all into oblivion."

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When the meeting was over, a clear decision still hadn't been made. There was every chance that the decision wouldn't be in Bruce's favor, that they'd send him back, that he had been right before about never being able to escape. Underneath all that doubt and worry, though, was something else. The thought that maybe, just maybe, this could turn out all right in the end.

It felt a little like hope.

It felt nice.


	8. Chapter 8

After the meeting, everyone expected a decision to be made quickly. But it didn't quite happen that way. Both sides refused to yield to the other's position. Compromises were proposed, then dismissed. It was starting to look like it might take quite some time for everything to be sorted out.

Bruce didn't much like the waiting, but Tony outright hated it. He was not a particularly patient person, and he thought that all of this should have been resolved ages ago. But here they were, still debating.

On top of everything else, Tony's insomnia still stubbornly refused to go away. He'd stay awake for days at a time, before finally crashing and falling into a fitful slumber. A few nights of that, and the whole cycle would start itself over again. The only good side of the sleepless nights was that it gave him more time to work on his suits.

That was what he was doing now, and what he had been doing since about midnight. The Mark X was almost finished, the Mark IX was ready for flight testing, and plans for the Mark XI had already been made. Now if he could only get rid of this splitting headache…

The door buzzer rang, interrupting his train of thought. "Come in," he said, not having to look up to know who it was. Bruce was the only one with any real reason to be in here. Pepper dropped by occasionally, but generally she didn't bother him when he was working. On that note- wouldn't _she _be at work by now? It must be morning by now. How could time have slipped by so fast?

"You've been busy," said a voice from behind him.

Tony turned around. As expected, Bruce was standing there, looking around curiously.

"Did you work through the night?" he asked.

"Yeah, well, you know how it is." Tony tried to sound casual. "You get so carried away with an idea and, before you know it, it's morning." This wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a complete lie either. "Speaking of morning…JARVIS? What time is it?"

"_Eight-o-clock A.M, sir." _

Eight o'clock already? Damn. Tony rubbed his forehead.

"I'm going to go get something to eat," he said to Bruce. "And something for this headache." He rubbed his forehead again. "Want anything?"

Bruce shook his head, already engrossed in the project he had left half-finished the day before.

Tony made a quick trip to the kitchen, deciding once he got there to forgo food in favor of a plain glass of juice. On the way back, he made a slight detour to grab some headache medicine. He popped the pills into his mouth and washed them down with a swig of juice as he stepped back through the door of his workshop.

"What's that you're working on?" he asked Bruce, who was still focused intently on his project. Usually he just helped with whatever Tony was doing, but this time he had asked to borrow some of Tony's tools to work on something of his own. Tony had said yes, interested to see what Bruce would come up with.

"Take a look," Bruce said, gesturing at the diagrams in front of him. "It's a water filtration device- one that's cheap to make, portable, and very effective. There are a lot of places in the world that could use something like this, believe me." He suddenly started to look nervous. "I, um, got the idea from the filtration system in your suits. You don't mind, do you?"

Tony kept examining the diagrams. Bruce began to twist his hands together in his lap, waiting for an opinion.

"This is actually pretty good," said Tony, after a moment. "Keep this up, and I might just have to hire you once this business with SHIELD is over."

Bruce nodded thoughtfully. "You really think it'll work out? The business with SHIELD, I mean."

_Ah, this again. _From what Tony could tell, Bruce spent most of his time worrying about that particular topic- either that, or worrying about the Hulk. Not that you could blame him, really, but it did get downright depressing after a while.

"I bet it will." Tony said, returning to his work. "We've got some good points on our side, after all. And I've heard that the World Security Council might be altering their stance soon enough."

"Really?" Bruce frowned. "What makes you say that? They always seemed pretty set in their ways."

"Maybe, but I heard from a good source…"

"You mean, you pestered Natasha until she told you something."

"That's a perfectly good source! Anyways, I heard that Fury is making the World Security Council take a look at the research notes on you from the facility before they make a decision. Until now, they've just been signing off on all these tests, without knowing the full details. Can you believe that?"

"Yes. I'd be more surprised if they _had _read them, honestly."

Tony paused and gave him a look. "Seriously? Anyways, it's a done deal. I've seen those notes, and they'd convince anyone."

"Not the people who wrote them."

"Fine- they'd convince any _rational _person."

"You're underestimating them again, Tony."

"So? Nothing wrong with a little optimism. You should try it sometime."

Bruce looked down at his hands. They had started twisting together again, as he was talking. "Yeah," he said softly. "I've been working on it."

The conversation ended there. Tony turned the volume back up on his music. He had turned it down earlier to help with his head, but that was what the pills were for. Besides, he needed _something _to help keep him awake. Often he had trouble falling asleep, but right now he felt as if he could drop off any minute. Letting out a soft groan, he laid his head down onto his arms.

"Tired?" asked Bruce.

Tony offered a mumbled assent.

"You haven't been sleeping much lately, have you? Maybe you should get some rest."

Tony's head shot up. "How'd you know I wasn't sleeping?"

"Your work. When I come here in the mornings, you've often gotten much more done than there was the day before. Only one way that could happen."

"Do you think Pepper knows?"

"I don't know. You hide it pretty well, though. Usually."

"Don't tell her, whatever you do." Tony warned. "She'll worry. I don't want her to worry about me."

"Your secret is safe. But I still think you should try and get some sleep."

Tony glanced over at the small couch in the corner- one that had been placed there just for times like this, when he needed a quick rest and a break from work. It _was _tempting. So tempting.

"I can't."

"Nightmares?" Bruce asked.

He caught the surprised and annoyed look on Tony's face. "Just a lucky guess," he said. "You can't avoid them forever, you know. Either you find a way to deal, or you go mad from exhaustion."

"That second option sounds good," said Tony. "And when did _you _become such a nightmare expert?"

Bruce raised his eyebrows. "Guess."

"Oh." Well, this was awkward.

"It's fine, really. Like I said, I found a way to deal."

Tony looked back over at the sofa. He was so damn tired right now. Maybe just a short nap?

"If I notice you having a nightmare, I can wake you up." Bruce offered, seeing the way that Tony was eyeing the couch.

This sealed the deal. Tony stood up. "JARVIS, turn off the music. And dim the lights a little." He looked over at Bruce. "And you. Don't go anywhere."

"I won't."

"Good." Tony flopped down on the couch. Had it always been this soft? Difficult to tell- he rarely used it.

"Goodnight."

"Good _morning_, actually," Bruce pointed out.

"Minor technicality." Tony mumbled.

He closed his eyes and tried to relax. This was ridiculous. Here he was, having to psych himself up for a _nap. _Yeah, he had a pretty good reason, but _still. _ He was Iron Man, for goodness sakes. A superhero. He was stronger than this.

Was he stronger than this?

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_Darkness. _

_Overwhelming darkness, closing in on him, like the tight grip of a thousand hands. Squeezing his chest, squeezing his whole body _

_(can't see, can't breathe)_

_He was alone, all alone, no one could help him, no one could save him. He was going to die here, in this strange sky, so far away from the world he knew._

_(can't see) (can't breathe)_

_He was going to die…_

"Tony! Tony, wake up!"

Tony's eyes flew open. It felt as if he had just been shocked with a sharp jolt of electricity. Where was he? Wherever it was, it was bright- almost too bright. The arc reactor! Was it working? Hurriedly, he looked down at his chest. Yes, there it was, glowing away just like it was supposed to. He let his head sink back onto the couch cushions. Only now did he fully realize where he was, and what had woken him up. He was lying on a couch in his workshop, with Bruce's worried eyes looking at him.

"Easy, easy. It's okay. Wherever you were, whatever was happening, I promise it's over. You're safe."

The steady sound of Bruce's voice helped pull Tony all the way back into reality. He now remembered what he had been doing, and why he had fallen asleep here of all places.

"Feeling a little better?" asked Bruce.

Tony nodded.

"In that case…would you mind letting go of me?"

In his panic, it seemed that Tony had instinctively clutched onto the nearest solid object- Bruce's shirt, in this case.

He released his grip on the fabric. "Sorry," he said, sitting up.

"Not a problem." Bruce said, although he looked relieved to no longer have someone holding onto him. It had become an unspoken rule- touching was fine, but only if he still felt that he could get away. Fortunately, it seemed that that rule could be waived under certain circumstances.

"You slept for over two hours." Bruce continued. He sat down next to Tony. "Did it help?"

"I'll let you know in a few minutes," answered Tony.

He wanted to say more. He wanted to talk about what had happened, with someone who would understand. But with a topic like that, could you really just…start talking? Out of the blue? Well, there was only one way to find out.

"I was falling," he said.

"Hm?"

"I mean, technically I wasn't falling _yet. _It was right _before _I started falling, when I went into that alien portal to destroy that nuke…"

Bruce looked utterly lost. _Damn it. _Tony had just shared something personal- which wasn't exactly easy- and Bruce had absolutely no idea what Tony was talking about.

"Is this something that happened in New York, when we fought the Chitauri?" Bruce guessed. "Because if it is, I should tell you that I really can't remember hardly any of it. Bits and pieces, here and there, but nothing specific. And nothing about nukes, or alien portals. I don't think the "other guy" even knows what a nuke _is._"

"Oh. Right." Tony's momentary irritation faded away. "Anyways, that part doesn't really matter." It did, actually, but he didn't want to have to explain it. "The point is, I honestly thought that I was going to die. I mean, yeah, I've faced death loads of times before. But this was different. Not sure why, but it was."

At that point, everything came spilling out- from the very moment he flew into the portal to the nightmare he had had just minutes before. Tony hadn't told anyone these things before. He had never _wanted _to, because he didn't want people to think that he was weak or crazy. He was Iron Man, larger than life, not a man who stays up all night tinkering because his past wouldn't go away like it was supposed to. Even to his friends, he hadn't wanted to say anything. They would be sympathetic, of course, but they wouldn't really _get _it. But with Bruce, it was different. He _knew_ what it was like to feel haunted, to never feel quite safe, to do everything you could to protect people and still have it not feel like enough. These were things that Tony wouldn't have to explain. Bruce already knew them.

While Tony was talking, Bruce had stayed quiet. Occasionally he would nod or offer a sympathetic look, but that was all. Now that Tony was done, though, Bruce spoke up again.

"You know…if you'd like, I could show you some meditation techniques. They can help manage anxiety, and stress. Only if you're interested, of course."

Tony made a face. "Hippie stuff? Not usually my thing. But if I change my mind, I'll let you know." _If I get desperate enough. _

"I'm not sure what else I can do to help. I'm no therapist. I could never _be _a therapist."

"Of course you're not a therapist. Do you really think I'd talk like that to a therapist? Not a chance. And, as for your other point- you can help by staying in here while I go back to sleep. Two hours is not enough to make up for days of insomnia. That's just basic math." He sounded much more casual about it than he felt.

"Well, I'll be right here. Just in case."

Bruce got up and went back over to the computer where he had been working earlier. "JARVIS? Could you dim the lights again?"

The lights dimmed. Tony lay down again, lying on his back so that he could easily see the arc reactor- just in case he needed a quick reassurance that it was still working. Already, he felt less nervous than he had two hours ago. Having Bruce nearby helped, more than he thought it would have at first.

After all, Bruce had caught him once. He wouldn't let him fall again.

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For the next few hours, there was no further excitement. Tony was sound asleep. Bruce was still putting the finishing touches on his filtration device designs. Every so often he would glance over at Tony to make sure that everything was all right- no twitching, hyperventilating, or anything else of that sort. So far, everything was fine.

A little bit later, Bruce noticed that a message had appeared in the corner of his computer display.

"_Dr. Banner, there is an incoming call from Agent Barton of SHIELD. Would you like to take it, or shall I wake up Sir?"_

So, JARVIS must have noticed that Tony was asleep and was making sure to stay quiet. Nice.

"I'll take it, but not in here" Bruce whispered, making sure that he stayed quiet as well. The call was probably about him anyways, so taking it shouldn't be a problem. And if it wasn't…well, then he could take a message. He didn't want to wake Tony up unless he had to. From what he had heard, Tony could really use it.

Bruce picked up the phone and stepped just outside the workshop. The door was made of glass, so he could still easily see inside.

"Hello?" he said into the phone.

"Mr. Stark?" asked Clint, on the other end.

"No, this is Banner. Tony's…busy."

"Ah. Well, Banner, you're _definitely _going to want to hear this."


	9. Chapter 9

"Wait- so the World Security Council is on our side now? Seriously?"

It was a few minutes since Bruce had gotten off the phone with Clint Barton. Tony, unable to sleep through even that minor disruption, had been waiting and wondering what was going on. After asking the obvious questions- like "Why did you answer my phone?" and "Why didn't you wake me up?"- Tony had decided to get to the heart of the matter.

"Basically," answered Bruce. "You sound surprised. I thought this was what you expected?"

"Sure it was. I can still be surprised, can't I?"

Bruce looked skeptical, but said nothing.

"This is good news, though. Isn't it?" continued Tony. For some reason, Bruce was acting decidedly strange about the whole thing. Stranger than usual, even. Tony got the feeling that he hadn't quite been told all the details.

"Yes, it is good news," Bruce said. "Although there are…a few restrictions on their decision."

_Ah. That was it. _"Restrictions, huh? What kind of restrictions?"

Bruce looked down at his hands. He definitely seemed uncomfortable now. "I'd have to stay in custody, in a specially designed cell like at the facility." At this point, Tony opened his mouth to protest. Bruce started talking faster, not letting himself be interrupted. "It's not all bad. There would be no scientists and no experiments, they promised that. It's not ideal, but it's better than nothing." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself, as well as Tony. "It _is _good news- just not the kind you were looking for."

"I'll judge that for myself, thanks."

"It is." Bruce insisted. "I know that you don't like it. I don't like it much either. But I can live with it." He hesitated for a moment. "And besides…at least this way, I can't hurt anyone."

Tony shrugged. "Say what you want, big guy. But personally, after all we've been through, I don't plan on giving in to some shitty bureaucratic compromise."

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Shortly after that, Tony got a text from Pepper and then left. Bruce stayed in the workshop. He didn't have any other obligations, so he thought that he might as well get something productive done.

Not that anything actually _was _getting done. Bruce's mind was still too busy with the news he had gotten to focus properly on anything else. The deal was a rational one, giving both sides something that they wanted. It was a perfect compromise, one that pleased everyone and yet pleased no one. The problem was, Bruce still felt unsatisfied. Maybe it was just selfishness that made him hesitate. It probably _was _just selfishness that made him hesitate. His control over the "other guy" was much better than it used to be, but there was no way of knowing if it would be enough. Accepting this deal would mean that people would be kept safe. No more deaths. No more waking up in strange places with blood on the ground and a sinking feeling of horror at what he had done. That was worth anything. Absolutely.

Still, the thought of spending the rest of his years in a lonely underground cell was a hard one to take, especially now that he had seen a glimpse of what life _could _be like instead. He didn't want to go back, although it was starting to look like that might be the only option. Chances were good that this compromise was the closest he would get. With a deal like this, it was entirely possible that even the military could be convinced to agree to it. So might Fury. Dr. Kavich and the other scientists at the facility probably wouldn't, but by that point it wouldn't matter- they would be outnumbered. If Tony, Bruce, and Fury held firm on their original position, it seemed much less likely that a consensus like that could be reached. On almost all counts, the best thing for him to do would be to accept this offer. But the thought of it still weighed heavily on his mind.

Well, fretting about it wouldn't make things any easier. Even if he did end up having to spend the rest of his life in confinement, he wasn't there now. That was a comfort, at least. He didn't know how long things would stay this way, but he wanted to enjoy this life while he still could.

Bruce shut off the computer monitors and said a quick good-bye to Tony's two ridiculously-named robots, promising them that he'd be back later. For some reason, they had taken a liking to him- at least, as much as a semi-intelligent robotic arm could take a liking to anything. Then he left the workshop and headed up towards the balcony. Out there was probably his second favorite place in Tony's whole house. Tony had joked about it at first, always poking fun at the way Bruce could so often be found there. That is, until Bruce told him _why. _For a year and a half, he wasn't allowed outside at all. There weren't even any windows. All the air was recycled, stale, and smelt of bleach. He hadn't really considered it a problem while he was there, though. The first few months he spent at the facility were so hellish that he had barely even noticed- it had seemed such a small, insignificant thing when all his time and effort was spent just trying to keep himself together. After that, he noticed but couldn't bring himself to care- not about the windows, not about hardly anything. It was only after the incident in New York, his first time outside in a long time, that it began to bother him. It was such an odd and pointless thing to miss, but it stuck with him.

He stretched out on one of the chairs, closing his eyes and letting his muscles relax one group at a time. Being out in the fresh air always had such a calming effect. He had never really liked the beach much before- although, he hadn't _dis_liked it either. It just wasn't something he thought about much. Now, though, his mind was made up. The scent of the salty breeze playing over his skin, the soft sound of waves breaking…he definitely liked this.

Opening his eyes, Bruce squinted up at the bright sky and watched as a few clouds scuttled across like they were about to be late for a very important appointment. There was still a seed of guilt growing inside of his chest- guilt because he didn't deserve any of this, not with what he had done. There was no reason why he should be allowed to be happy when he had caused so much suffering in others

The clouds had gone, off to wherever small, scurrying clouds went. The sky was clear now, but his conscience wasn't. Even letting himself be locked away couldn't undo anything that he had done. But, at least it would stop anyone else from being hurt. Besides, wasn't it a just punishment? Convicted murderers were always punished, as they should be. And, even though it had been far from intentional, Bruce was a murderer. Wasn't he?

Thinking about it only served to put a lump in his throat and fill him with cold from head to toe, despite the warmth of the surrounding air. There was no use in feeling guilty right now. Guilt, on its own, never undid anything either. Instead, he decided to try and think of something else. Something less…depressing.

Tony. What would Tony do if he were here right now, and could hear all of the things running through Bruce's mind? Make a few dismissive jokes, probably. Try to change the subject, lighten the mood a little. In the end, though, he'd probably say that Bruce didn't really deserve any of this, that he'd already been punished enough. And it wouldn't matter that Bruce would never believe a word of it, because it would be enough just to know that someone actually gave enough a damn about him about him to say it. To know that there was someone who actually saw him as something other than a potential weapon or a science experiment gone wrong.

Bruce's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden sound. It was quiet, almost imperceptible, but out-of-place enough to put him on edge. He got up slowly, making sure not to make any noise himself. _Probably just your imagination, Banner _he reminded himself. _Paranoia, plain and simple. _Still, paranoia had served him well in the past. It had kept him safe, at least for a while. And if it turned out to be unjustified this time…well, there was no harm in checking.

Unfortunately, it seemed that now- like so many other times- his paranoia was completely justified. In this case though, it had come a little too late for it to be of any good. After a few cautious steps back inside, there was another noise- louder and clearer this time. Someone was definitely there. He swung around, only to be faced by a woman wearing a military uniform and holding a rather large tranquilizer gun.

There was barely enough time for Bruce to register the sight before he felt a sharp sting in his neck.

The room began to spin.

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Tony drove up to the front of his house, tapping his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. Everything had been going so well- Pepper had managed to snag herself a long lunch break, so she and Tony decided to go out to a restaurant and spend some quality time together. But then, a little over halfway through, Tony had received an automated message from JARVIS, saying that the home security systems had been compromised. The security at the house was top-notch. It should have been virtually impossible for someone to break in.

_Virtually _impossible.

"Stay in the car." Tony said to Pepper. "I'll go in myself."

"Tony…" she began. He interrupted her.

"Look, it's just a precaution. If it's dangerous, you shouldn't be in there. I just don't want you getting hurt."

"If it's dangerous, then you shouldn't be in their either," she pointed out.

"Maybe." He gave a small shrug. "But you know you can't stop me."

She still looked worried, but nodded. "Just…be careful, okay?"

"Right."

He went into the house. So far, everything _looked _okay- no overturned furniture, broken glass, or anything else of that sort. The only thing out of place was the presence of some bootprints on the carpet. He could, however hear some faint sounds coming from somewhere- although he couldn't pinpoint where. At least there were no signs that the Hulk was or had been around. That was good, right?

"JARVIS?" Tony asked, wondering if the voice systems were still working. It all depended on how much damage had been done…

"_Y..es, sir?" _

Good. They were still functional, although just barely.

"What happened? Did someone break in?" _Stupid question. _Of course someone had broken in. The automated message wouldn't have been sent out otherwise.

"_Mili…tary personnel, ten point si..x minutes ago. They are cu…re…nt…ly…" _JARVIS's voice began to decay into static.

"C'mon, stay with me now," Tony said, starting to pace back and forth. "Where'd you say they were?"

The response he got was mostly garbled, but he managed to catch one word- "Balcony."

"Near the balcony. Got it. Thanks, J," Tony said, hurrying off. Military personnel, breaking in at a time when Bruce just _happened _to be the only one here? It was pretty obvious what was going on here. All of a sudden, the Hulk's absence didn't seem like such a good sign.

As he got closer, the noises he had heard became much clearer. They were voices.

"Hurry up. I don't care if he's knocked out, we can't be too careful."

Was that General Ross? So, he had decided to do the dirty work himself this time instead of sending a lackey to do it for him. _If you want something done right, do it yourself. _

Tony tended to subscribe to that philosophy as well. The thing was, this time he _didn't _want things to be done right- not by Ross's definition, anyways. Which meant that Tony had to act fast.

At that moment, he was pressed with his back flat against the wall, right around the corner from where Ross and the others were. Probably it would have been best for him to stay hidden and come up with a plan of action rather than jumping, unarmed and unprotected, into a group of trained soldiers.

Tony was never one for waiting. He turned the corner.

The sight he faced was far from pleasant. Bruce was lying on the floor unconscious, surrounded by three people in uniforms. One was kneeling next to him, binding his legs and arms tightly so that he couldn't move an inch. The other two were standing, aiming guns down at Bruce's limp form. General Ross was also nearby, barking orders. He stopped short when Tony stepped out in front of him.

"You know, General, it's usually considered rude to break into people's houses and kidnap their friends," Tony said as casually as possible. He had to play this just right.

Ross didn't seem amused. "I'd suggest that you don't get involved here, Stark."

"I'm already involved."

"And that was your first mistake." Ross gestured at one of his soldiers, who then turned and raised his gun so that it was pointed at Tony. "I don't want to hurt you, Stark. But you're not making it easy."

Tony tried his best to ignore the gun pointed at him. Instead, he looked challengingly at Ross. "Threats? Isn't that supposed to be _my _job?"

Ross furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm giving you one last chance- stop getting involved. This goes far beyond either of us. This is a matter of national security!"

"Okay, that's _definitely _my department. Iron Man, remember? I _am _national security."

"Not right now, you aren't." Ross said coldly. He turned towards the woman who had been tying Bruce up. "Restrain Stark, too. I don't need any more interruptions."

"Hey! Wait! You can't do this!" Tony argued furiously. But it was no use. If he tried to fight back, he was screwed. If he didn't…yeah, still screwed. There didn't seem to be a whole lot of options at the moment. He could talk big, but without the suit he felt weak. Defenseless. For a moment he wished that he had stopped to put on the Mark IX before trying to confront Ross, even though it would have wasted precious time. Extra time wasn't much good if he couldn't use it.

As Tony was being cuffed and bound, he noticed something. Bruce, who Tony had previously thought was unconscious, had his eyes open. At first he couldn't seem to focus them, still sluggish from the drugs in his system. After a few moments, though, his gaze locked with Tony's.

_Don't give up on me now, _that look seemed to say. _Please, don't give up on me now. _

It didn't take long before Bruce's eyes unfocused again and his head flopped back down onto the floor. But by then, Tony's mind was made up. Maybe this couldn't be won, maybe it could. He could still try.

Swiftly, he kicked at the officer who was just about to start shackling his legs together. Tony's arms were already bound, but at least with his legs free he could still move. Now all he had to do was to avoid the two men with guns- far easier said than done. At least the confined space that they were in right now worked to his advantage. With everyone rushing around in a confusion, the soldiers were hesitant to shoot lest they hit one of their colleagues instead.

There seemed to be a chance, even if it was small. But when he had almost reached Bruce, Tony suddenly lost his balance. With his arms tight behind his back, there was no way to break the fall and no way he could pull himself back up. In a matter of seconds he was lying on the floor with both guns pointed right at his back. He couldn't move, couldn't even try to kick the two men out of the way- they were out of reach. As far as Tony could tell, he had just run out of options. It was over.

He had lost.


	10. Chapter 10

"You never learn, do you?"

All that Tony could see of General Ross were his neatly-polished boots, standing mere inches away from where Tony was being held down against the floor by three military goons. Still, from the sound of his voice alone, Tony could easily imagine what Ross's face looked like at that moment. Stern, smug, with a look of distaste usually reserved for small, irritating insects. Which, as Tony realized, was probably pretty close to how Ross saw him.

Down by his feet, Tony could feel someone cuffing his legs together. When they were done, all but one of the soldiers moved away. The remaining one was still aiming his gun right at Tony's back.

"You have two choices right now, Mr. Stark." Ross began. "First, you can promise to stay quiet about this and make _absolutely sure _that you never get in my way again."

"I've never been so good at staying quiet," said Tony, who was squirming in his restraints. If only he could roll over onto his back, then he could at least _see _the person he was talking to. "What's option two?"

"You're a bright boy. Figure it out for yourself."

Tony gritted his teeth. It was bad enough that Ross had him at his complete mercy, but did he really have to be so _condescending _about it?

He managed to roll over so that he was no longer lying on his front. Bad idea. Now he just felt exposed. "Sorry, I don't negotiate with murderous, fanatical military generals. Personal policy of mine."

"That's what I thought," said Ross, ignoring the insults slung at him. He looked up. "You two! Get Banner, we're leaving."

"And me, sir?" asked the man still standing over Tony.

"Oh, I think you know what to do."

"Yes, sir."

The other two officers had picked up Bruce by the arms and were dragging him away. He was awake now, struggling feebly. It wasn't enough to make any difference. Tony watched, with a sinking feeling in his stomach. So this was it. This was how it was all going to end, for both of them.

Everything seemed to slow down. The rest of the room faded away. Tony became acutely aware of the sound of his own ragged breathing, of the sweat beading on his forehead, of the hand he saw moving towards the gun's trigger. His thoughts turned to Pepper. _Pepper. _Part of him wished she were here right now. Most of him was glad she wasn't glad she didn't have to see any of this. But she was still waiting out in the car, wasn't she? How long would it take, before she got worried and came inside? She'd come looking for him, only to find…only to find…

He closed his eyes, and waited.

There was a startled shout from nearby. Tony opened his eyes in surprise, just in time to see the soldier above him being shoved forcefully out of the way by something large and green

Large, green, and _very _angry.

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Up until that point, Pepper had been waiting as patiently as possible out in the car. _It'll be fine_ she reminded herself. _He told you to stay here. Going inside would only put yourself in unnecessary danger. There would be nothing you could do. Besides, Tony knows what he's doing. _

The sound of gunshots rang out, followed by silence. Oh, she hoped that Tony knew what he was doing.

Her patience was nearly at its limit when she heard a loud roar coming from inside the house, followed by more gunfire. That was it. There was no way she could just sit by and do nothing while Tony was in trouble. "Unnecessary danger" be damned.

It was easy to find where Tony was- she just followed the noise. Once she got there, though, things weren't so simple. Tony was lying on the floor, cuffed and bound, with a look of utter panic and confusion on his face. In front of him was what was unmistakably the Hulk, snarling fiercely. On the opposite side of the room were four people in military uniforms. Three were huddled against the wall in terror, their weapons having been smashed and twisted beyond recognition. One was lying on the floor, unconscious and bruised.

"Tony! What the hell is going on?"

"I can explain. Really. Sort of."

"You'd better," she murmured. The Hulk, who had noticed her shouting, was now looking straight at her. It was unnerving, to say the least.

"I will, promise. If you come over here and untie me, I'll tell you everything."

"Right." She tore her gaze away from the Hulk and went to help Tony. At least he didn't seem injured- just shaken up. "How do I get these cuffs off?"

"There's a key, I think. Look in that pack over there." He nodded in the direction of a crumpled bag lying off to the side.

After digging around a bit, Pepper found the key and undid Tony's restraints.

"Thanks," he said, rubbing at his arms.

"Are you okay?" Pepper asked. "What happened?"

"In short? Those guys," He pointed at the soldiers still cowering in the corner. "Tried to kidnap Bruce. I got in their way, and they tried to kill me. Which is where the big guy's _impeccable _timing comes in."

Immediately, Pepper zeroed in on the most important part of Tony's story. "They tried to _kill _you?"

"Well, yes. But everything's under control now. It's fine."

"It doesn't look fine."

"Okay, maybe everything's _not _fine." Tony admitted. "But I can fix it. First things first, I've got to call the police. I, uh, sort of made a deal."

"A deal."

"Yeah, with the Hulk. Seems like a good idea to follow through on something like that." He got up. "Just…stay here, alright?"

_Stay here. _The last time she tried that, it hadn't gone very well. But, there wasn't much she could do about it at this point. Tony had already left again.

She looked back up at the Hulk, whose attention seemed to be divided between the four military officers and Tony and Pepper's conversation. To be honest, Pepper was a little nervous about being left alone with him. She was fine with Bruce- he was very quiet and probably not quite right in the head, but he was easy enough to get along with. But the Hulk? That was a different matter entirely. Tony had always reassured her that the Hulk wouldn't be a danger, but she didn't know whether to believe him or not. Now, it looked like she was about to find out.

He didn't _seem _too dangerous, at least not at the moment. He wasn't even attacking the soldiers- just keeping them in a corner and pacing back and forth, looking frustrated. Everything was almost eerily calm- at least, until the unconscious man on the floor woke up. Once he began to move, it was as if a switch had been flipped. The Hulk grabbed the man by the shirt and lifted him straight into the air, roaring in rage.

"Hey!" Tony shouted, having returned just in time. "Put Ross back down!" He sounded like he was talking to an unruly toddler, rather than a green behemoth. It would almost be comical, if not for the situation they were in.

He kept talking. "We made a deal, remember? You don't kill anyone- even if they deserve it- and _I_ make sure that they go to jail for a very long time instead. Remember?"

Hulk huffed, but still tightened his grip on the struggling man.

"Does he even know what jail is?" Pepper asked in a whisper.

Tony shrugged. "He hasn't killed anyone. I'd take that as a good sign. And he knows what being locked up means, at any rate."

Hulk still refused to set Ross back down, and Tony quickly gave up on trying to stop him. No one was getting hurt, he pointed out.

It wasn't very long before the police showed up. They balked at the sight of the Hulk, but once Tony explained the situation, they got their job done anyways- much to Ross's indignation.

"I am a general!" he shouted angrily. "Do you know what that means?"

His protests fell on deaf ears. Soon, it was only Pepper, Tony, and the Hulk left standing amidst the remaining wreckage.

Pepper checked her watch. She hated to leave at a time like this, but she was expected back at work.

"I've got to go soon," she told Tony.

"Already?"

"I know, it's a bad time, but…"

"It's fine. I can handle things from here. See you tonight?"

"See you tonight." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, whispering in his ear as she did so.

"Tony, _never _scare me like that again."

"I won't," he said. It was a promise they both knew that he couldn't keep.

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Tony had managed to hold himself together very well, while Pepper was there. Now that she was gone, though, he seemed to melt. He slumped down onto the floor, with his back resting against the wall and his head resting on his arms. The Hulk sat down next to him. Within minutes, he had shrunk back down into Bruce.

"Tony?" Bruce asked, blinking up at him through bleary eyes. "What happened?"

"You saved my life. Again."

"This one doesn't count. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even been in danger."

"If it's not homicidal generals, it's homicidal terrorists. Or aliens. Or business partners. There's a whole list of people looking to kill me."

"I know the feeling." Bruce said dryly, pulling himself into a sitting position. He was still pretty woozy, but wanted to get a better look at his surroundings. "Where is everybody?" he asked. "Did the Hulk…." He trailed off, not wanting to say it.

"Did he what? Listen to what I said? Keep those bastards from running off while I called the cops? Yeah, he did."

Bruce chose to ignore the snarky tone in Tony's voice. "So they were arrested?"

"Yeah. Ross put up one hell of a fight, but the evidence was pretty damning." He looked around the room, surveying the damage done. "You know, there _is _one good thing that can come from all this," he began, in an attempt to lift the uncomfortably somber mood that had fallen over them once Pepper left. "With Ross gone, I bet it'll be way easier to get the military to side with us."

Bruce looked away and shifted awkwardly. "I, er, was actually thinking about accepting the Council's offer. That is, if Fury's willing to go along with it too." At least, he _had _been considering it. Earlier that day, the choice had seemed clear. But recent events had shaken his view a bit. Today it seemed that the "other guy" had once more been…controllable. In the past, Bruce had always classified times like that as exceptions, rather than the rule. But how many "exceptions" did it take before they _became _the rule?

Tony, not knowing about Bruce's doubts, wasn't exactly happy with what he had just heard. 'You can't be serious," he said. "You _are _serious. My god. For someone so smart you can be a real dumbass at times, you know that?"

"It would be selfish not to." Bruce said, still not looking up.

"So? The world's not gonna end if you do something selfish for once. Just look at me- I do selfish shit all the time, and it works out great. It's only when I try and be heroic that things start to go south."

_Now what did he mean by that? _"I thought you did pretty good today."

Tony snorted derisively. "At what part? The part where I _tripped, _fell on my face, and had to be rescued by the not-so-Jolly Green Giant? Real good, that bit." He leaned his head back against the wall. "Truth is, without the suit on I'm just an ordinary guy. Utterly brilliant, of course, but still just…human. Iron Man's the hero, not me."

"I thought you _were _Iron Man."

"That's what I tell everyone. That's what I tell _myself. _But really? All those "heroic acts", those "superhuman feats" that I've done? Anyone could do them, with the right technology."

"Maybe they could. But they didn't. You _did._."

"So?" Tony asked. "I don't see how that makes much of a difference"

Bruce folded his hands together, rubbing the pad of one thumb against the back of the other. "It does to the people you've saved," he said softly.


	11. Chapter 11

Woo, last chapter! It was fun, but I'm still really glad to have gotten it finished.

I just want to give a big thank-you to all the people who read and enjoyed this story, even though it was basically just me flailing at a notebook and keyboard for almost five months.

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After much careful deliberation, Bruce chose not to accept the offer given to him by the Council. He still couldn't shake the lingering feeling that it was selfish, though. Every reason he came up with for why it _wasn't _could be countered by an equally strong reason why it _was, _and vice versa. But he decided to take the leap anyways. Even if this didn't work out- and there was every chance that it wouldn't- at least he'd have the knowledge that he hadn't given up. Not this time, at least.

The next step was to tell Fury. Well, strictly speaking, _he _didn't tell Fury. He told Tony, who told Agent Barton, who _then _told Fury. When he at last found out, Fury simply said that he would try and arrange another meeting in order to "discuss recent events" once more.

This meeting never happened. Ms. Lang and the new military representative were both far too busy dealing with Ross. It turned out that, in exchange for a lighter sentence, one of his men had come forward with the details of some of the more…_unsavory _things that Ross had done. Bruce and Tony had been completely unsurprised by the illicit activities that Ross was involved in- Tony knew about most of them already from his trawl through the military's database, and Bruce had seen some of them first-hand. To nearly everyone else, though, the news came as a shock. Ross had been high-ranking and highly-respected. To discover just how low he was willing to sink…well, it caused quite the scandal.

Later, though, Tony did receive a message stating that a final decision would be made by the following Monday- seven days away.

"I doubt it'll even take that long." Tony said that day. "They want this to be finished as much as we do."

"It'll be done by tomorrow," he said on Thursday. I've worked with people like this before. They just want to give themselves extra room so it doesn't look like they're waiting until the last minute."

On Saturday, when it became clear that they were, in fact, going to wait until the last minute, Tony simply cursed the inefficiency of government agencies.

Bruce took the wait in a much quieter fashion. At first, he was very patient. After all, if he _did _end up being sent back to a cell, he was perfectly happy to avoid it for as long as possible. By Friday, though, he had changed his mind. Whatever choice was going to be made, he just wanted to get it over with. By Sunday, with the end date right ahead of him, he couldn't sleep.

When he had told Tony that he knew how to deal with nightmares, Bruce had been being completely honest. He still got them, but over the years they had mostly faded to a sort of unpleasant background noise- something that was obviously there but still possible to manage. Every so often, however, one would show up that refused to play by the rules. Like on that Sunday night, for example. It wasn't much of a surprise, really- he was already stressed, and hadn't been eating or sleeping well for the past few days. Not that that made it any easier.

He awoke with a start, clammy hands clutching frantically at the bedsheets. Cold sweat was beading up on his forehead, and his heartrate had shot out of the "acceptable" range and straight into the "danger" zone. He couldn't breathe properly; there didn't seem to be enough air in the room. This was wrong, all wrong. _The syringe. _What had been in that syringe? They had drugged him, they must have, they…they….

Bruce forced himself to take several deep breaths, trying to clear his mind. There had been no syringe, of course, and no drugs. It was all a dream. Not real. Not real. He repeated this to himself over and over again, turning it into a soothing mantra. _Not real, not real, not real. _

But it had _felt _real. And the adrenaline coursing through his veins…that was all too real.

"JARVIS?" he choked out, once he had properly caught his breath. "Turn on the lights."

Although there was no need, Bruce still flinched when the room was flooded with harsh, electric light. Part of him, he realized, was still back at the facility, where a suddenly lit room usually meant that one of the doctors had come in to start a new day full of experiments and examinations. But once his eyes adjusted, being able to see where he actually was helped to ground him firmly back into the present. The pounding of his heart began to slow, although he could still feel the "other guy" clawing at the edge of his consciousness. Truthfully, Bruce felt like clawing at his mind as well, tearing away all the memories of grey walls and white coats that just wouldn't. go. away.

For a while- he wasn't sure how long, maybe a minute and maybe an hour- he simply sat there and focused on his breathing. _In-out, in-out. _Sometimes he would start to rock slowly back and forth, only to notice and stop himself. Each time he did, he would inevitably start back up again. There was no point in stopping it, really, but it gave him something to think about.

Even once he calmed down, he knew that he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep for a while yet. He almost never could, after dreams like that. In the past he would have had to sit in the dark, hugging his arms to his sides and waiting until he could no longer feel the ghostly impressions of gloved hands on his skin.

Bruce hugged his arms to his sides. At least tonight, he could have the lights on.

As he looked around the room once more, an idea came into his head. "JARVIS? I don't suppose Tony is awake, is he?" It was childish, maybe, but right now he could really use some company.

"_Yes, Sir is in his workshop. Shall I contact him for you?"_

"Not right now, thanks." Even of he was awake, Tony probably wouldn't want to be bothered so late. Probably it would be best to just forget about the whole thing.

"_Dr. Banner, if I may interject, Sir has hardly ever demonstrated any sort of irritation at your presence." _

"Were you ever programmed to read minds, JARVIS?"

"_I am not currently capable of that particular function- a fact which Sir has lamented on many occasions. Now, would you like me to contact him for you?"_

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The last thing- well, maybe not the _last _thing, but it was pretty low on the list- that Tony expected at this time of night was a visitor. Surely he was the only one who was even awake at this godawful early hour? But no- according to JARVIS, Bruce had asked if it was okay for him to join Tony in the workshop. Tony had said yes, naturally. JARVIS hadn't given any details, of course, but it was clear what was going on. Bruce couldn't sleep- probably nightmares- and didn't feel like being alone. And how could Tony say no to that? He might be an asshole at times, but he wasn't cold-hearted.

"Come in," he said when the door buzzer sounded. "Why did you even ring that thing anyways? I know it's you."

"Habit, I guess." Bruce mumbled. He was still standing near the door, hands shoved in his pockets and eyes fixed on the floor. Tony tossed a screwdriver at him, and Bruce only barely managed to catch it before it could clatter to the floor.

"If you're going to stay, you have to help out." Tony said, turning back around. "There's a problem with the flight stabilizers on the Mark X, and I'd really like to get them fixed."

As they worked, Tony kept trying to make casual small talk. He was met with little success. Bruce was tense, and didn't seem to be in much of a talkative mood. He would offer a suggestion now and then, but that was about it. After a bit, Tony just turned his music up in order to drown out the silence. Less than twenty minutes later, though, he turned it back down. Tony was a talkative sort of person- even when no one was around, he just talked to his robots. Sitting in silence with another person _right next _to him? Madness.

"You're quiet tonight." Tony commented casually. "Worried about tomorrow?"

"Of course I am."

"Don't." Tony said, even though he'd probably be doing the same thing if he were in Bruce's situation. Nothing wrong with a little hypocrisy. "They know I'll give them hell if they send you back. Besides, we've got the Council halfway on our side already. People'll listen to them."

Suddenly, Bruce looked up. "That was always part of the problem, wasn't it?

"What, me giving people hell? That's only a problem to people I don't like."

Bruce shook his head. "Not that. The Council."

"I don't follow."

"Like you said, people listen to them. When they say something is wrong, people listen. And when…" He swallowed hard. "When they would sign off on those reports from the facility, saying that everything was fine and nothing should change…people listened then, too."

Well, that came out of nowhere_. _Granted, he had a point, but still. Nowhere.

"I mean, it's not really their fault. They had no idea what was going on," continued Bruce, who had started to twist his hands together in his lap. "But everyone working at the facility, _they _knew. All the people who created and supervised the bioweaponry project to begin with, _they _knew." He was talking louder now, and faster. "They saw what was happening, and none of them did a damn thing about it, did they? They could've done something, they could've stopped the whole thing dead in its tracks. They could have. But they didn't."

Tony was suddenly reminded of what Bruce had said the other day. _"Maybe they could, but they didn't. You did." _

It was starting to look like this wasn't quite as "out of nowhere" as he had first thought.

By this point Bruce's voice had gone soft again, as if he were talking to himself. "No one cared. Even I stopped caring, sometimes. Who would care what happens to a monster?"

"You're not much of a monster, to be honest," Tony pointed out. "You saved my life twice. That's not really monstrous. Unless we're going from the perspective of one of the people who want me dead, but those people have terrible opinions."

"Maybe you're right." Bruce sighed, and ran a hand through his rumpled hair. "I shouldn't have gone off like that. I was just…"

"Angry?" Tony supplied helpfully."

"Angry." Bruce echoed, sounding deflated. He was angry. He had been angry every day, for the past year and a half, until it just turned into a sort of hopeless frustration. Until it stopped really meaning anything.

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Bruce was tempted to stay in the workshop for the rest of the night, just in case he would never get to go there again. After a while, though, he decided to leave and try to get some sleep. He _could _function just fine on only a few hours of rest- and he had done so many times before- but he figured it was better if he didn't this time. Tomorrow was an important day, after all. Besides, it probably wasn't a good idea to be working with potentially-dangerous machinery when you were tired.

Tony stayed, of course. _He _wasn't tired and, even if he were, he didn't care as much about the potential injuries. All part of the job, he figured.

Monday morning started off normally- a little too normally, all things considered. Tony left the workshop shortly before Pepper got up, so he could see her before she left for work. Bruce woke up a little bit later, stumbling sleepily out of the guest room. He apologized, unnecessarily, for ranting at Tony earlier. Neither of them mentioned the important decision that was supposed to be made that day, even though both were thinking about it.

At about eleven o'clock that same morning, thoughts turned to reality when Fury showed up unexpectedly.

"Mr. Stark. Dr. Banner," he said when Tony answered the door. "We have some things to discuss."

He stepped inside- without asking first, as Tony was tempted to point out. He didn't. Somehow, it seemed like a bad idea.

"Sit down." Fury said, when they were all in the living room. Tony stayed standing for a few moments, out of sheer defiance. Bruce sat down immediately. He was busy trying to assess the situation. What could Fury have to discuss? Would it be good or bad? At least no guards had come with him, although that was hardly a guarantee.

"SHIELD, the military, and the World Security Council have finally managed to come to an agreement," Fury began. To Bruce, it seemed as if it were taking forever to get to the point. He was so anxious that he nearly missed what Fury said next. When he heard it, though, he was thankful that he didn't.

"It has been decided that you, Dr. Banner, will not be taken back into custody- by SHIELD, or by anyone else."

Bruce could hardly believe what he was hearing. He didn't have to go back. _He didn't have to go back! _Part of him was tempted to pinch himself, just to see if this was all a dream, but at the same time he knew it couldn't be. His dreams were never this good.

"However…" Fury said, causing Bruce's spirits to sink a little. _However _was rarely a good sign. "There will be restrictions."

"Restrictions." Tony said flatly, rolling his eyes. "Oh, here we go again."

Fury acted as if Tony hadn't said anything. "SHIELD will continue to keep a close eye on you, to make sure you don't cause any trouble. In the case of another global catastrophe, you will be required to assist us in any way possible. Removing or tampering with your tracking device is strictly prohibited. And, you must continue to prove that the Hulk can be controlled. Are you capable of that?"

Bruce nodded. SHIELD was going to be keeping him on a leash, but he didn't really mind. A leash was still better than a cage.

Fury turned to Tony. "And _you. _You may never share the information you have on SHIELD and the military. Not with _anyone. _Do you understand?"

"Not a problem." Tony said, even though this was a rule he had already broken weeks ago. It was only with Rhodey, after all. The military was his department, and he had a right to know what they got up to.

"Good," said Fury. "That will be all."

Then, as suddenly as he had shown up, he was gone.

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After Fury left, Bruce just sat there in stunned silence. This was all he had wanted for so long, and now it had actually happened. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure what to do next. But he was looking forward to finding out.

"I told you it would work." Tony said proudly, nudging Bruce with his arm. "Not that I'm the sort of person to say "I told you so", but…yeah. I told you so."

There was a pause. Then Tony spoke up again. "Figures that SHIELD would toss restrictions like that on you. They just have to get the last word, don't they?"

"I thought it was pretty reasonable."

"Well, that's what counts." Tony got up. "At least you finally got your happy ending, right?"

"Yeah." Bruce answered. "I guess I did."

They both knew it wasn't that simple. Happy endings never worked out like the way they did in storybooks, with everything wrapping up all nice and neat. Real life had loose ends. The Hulk was still there, and Bruce was going to have to learn to deal with him properly. And there would probably always be people out there who wanted to have him hunted down. And, of course, he would always have to live with the knowledge of what had been done to him. That was something that could never go away, no matter how much he wished it could. But at least now, Bruce had the opportunity to try and turn his life around. There were some things he had now that he hadn't really had before- people who he could trust, and safe places he could turn to if he really needed it. Maybe that would make all the difference.

Happy endings weren't real, but second chances were.


End file.
